Chad Carden's News and Information

P.E.P.P. Preparation Execution Persistence and Patience: A Rulebook To Achieving Success In Any Area Of Your life!

2012-01-26T15:34:00.000-08:00

This Blog has been put together with the intention to help you see the process of success as manageable and realistic. In anything we do in life these four key elements play a very important role. We must prepare before we go into battle. We must execute our plan, or our plan is worthless. Action is required along with having a positive outlook that good things will happen. We must persist! We must not let little obstacles stand in our way. Finally we must have patience. Things take time to work. We live in a world of instant gratification, where people want things and they want them now. People want to become the best, the "Michael Jordan's or the Warren Buffett's", yet they are not willing to go through what the best go through to become the best. These examples can go on forever. We must be willing to have patience as we prepare, execute, and persist!

I want to help everyone reading this to see success as a fun journey. People must have fun in life or things become stale. These next few paragraphs will help you with a step by step process, you will understand the formula to have success in life, both personally and professionally, however you define success. By the way, that is the very first step! You must define what success means to you. To many times we are living life inside someone else's plan for success. Define success for you personally and professionally and then put a plan together that is right for you! Finally you must execute your plan.

For someone who cares about helping people set themselves up for success by helping people change the way they look at life, I have been fighting this battle for the past 12 years and continue to fight everyday to help more and more people set themselves up for success in their personal and professionals lives. I have had the privilege to work with over 100,000 people all across the globe helping them get on the right path to success (however they define the word "success"). Working with people through self-help, motivation, financial planning, career planning, business planning, leadership and sales development, and building self-confidence, I have seen a lot of people and companies who are truly searching for answers about themselves and their very own lives. I have decided to find continued ways to help as many people as possible with the power of P.E.P.P. The P.E.P.P. Formula can and will help you improve your life if you actually take action with these suggestions.

Improving one's life is a two-way street. First, one must know what do to and how to do it, and second one must take action! I have run across a lot of people who hear but don't listen, others who listen but don't understand, others who understand but don't agree, others who agree, but don't think they have the ability to accomplish, and finally those who have the ability to accomplish but don't execute (no action).

It is my goal to get you to actually execute, take action, and improve your life to reach your definition of success in many different areas of your life. As you read about P.E.P.P., think about ways you can take immediate action that will move you in the right direction towards your dreams, goals, and desires, in any area of your life. Taking the first step is sometimes the hardest, but once you do and you create momentum it is amazing what results you can and will produce. Remember to always be moving forward in a positive direction! Get out of the "rocking chair" mode. A rocking chair never moves forward, and we always want to be moving forward. Whether you move forward an inch or a mile, that doesn't matter, as long as you are moving in a positive direction. I challenge you to write your thoughts down and then execute your plan. Who knows, you just might come up with ideas that can change your life.

Use P.E.P.P. to improve you life! Prepare, execute, persist and be patience and watch your dreams become a reality.

Spend More Time Reviewing Your Finances

2012-01-16T09:43:00.000-08:00

Mark Victor Hansen and Robert Allen teamed up to write a book called The One-Minute Millionaire. It’s a fantastic book written in two parts, so it’s great for people who are more creative and want to read a story, and for people who are more analytical who just want the facts. One of the points they make in the book is that millionaires spend an extra few minutes on their finances every day. Some people say they don’t have time to focus on their finances, but we’re not talking about hours and hours of reconciling bank statements. It’s an extra couple of minutes deciding whether or not you really need that pair of shoes you just picked up. It’s an extra couple of minutes figuring out what you have left in your checkbook. If you really want to get serious about monitoring your progress, spend a few minutes a day on Quicken or some other financial software that helps you track you’re spending, saving, and investing. Just spend a little extra time every day and see the progress you’re making.

In order to monitor your financial progress, obviously you need to have some defined money goals. For some, this may mean sticking within a budget and monitoring that closely. For others, it may mean determining by what day they want to have their debt paid. You may have a desired income goal for the month – or maybe you’ve been eyeing something in a store for some time and you’re saving the money to pay cash for it. Whatever your money goals are, you must determine how long it will take you to reach those goals and strive every day/week/ month to achieve them.

Finally, make a commitment to yourself that you want to WIN The Money Game. Make a commitment to stick to your budget, to pay off your credit cards, to live within your means, and to pay cash for everything. If you need help staying accountable, ask a friend, family member, or co-worker to keep you on track. Sometimes it’s nice to have someone checking in on your progress. If you should happen to falter or take a couple of steps back on your progress, re-commit to yourself that you WILL accomplish what you set out to do: WIN The Money Game!

Block Out The “Noise”

2011-12-12T05:33:00.000-08:00

There is so much “noise” going on right now in the world. The economy, job losses, a new “stimulus” package, tax cuts, retirement accounts moving in the wrong direction (including mine), housing troubles, etc… Wow! If we get caught up in all the “noise”, it would be very easy to become depressed and have a completely negative outlook on life as a whole. So what we must do is shrink our “universe” down to our biggest asset; which is ourselves! You are your biggest asset to make changes in your life, to help resolve issues you are going through, to find a job, to make money, to build a better relationship with a loved one, and the list can go on and on. Plus, you can’t control the stock market, the government, what happens to your home price, the price of oil, but you can and must control you. Too many people rely on others (where they work, their families, their church, the government) to support them, or to tell them what to do next. This type of thinking shrinks one’s own ability for “free or critical thinking”. If we allow others to think for us and make decisions for us we are not growing our biggest asset, we are actually shrinking that asset, and making it a liability. We can’t change the past, but we can influence the future by taking steps today towards a better life. What are you doing today to grow your biggest asset?

There are three uses of our time. We can invest our time, spend our time, or waste our time. When you invest your time you are growing your biggest asset. Focus on ways to invest your time. How? You can:

• Read a book
• Spend quality time with a loved one
• Find your true calling in life and begin the proper steps to find a new career or job
• Work on your resume
• Network to find other avenues of business
• Go to the gym and get a workout in
• Pick up the phone and make that call you have wanted to make
• Take some quiet time to gather your thoughts
• Take the first step in making a situation better

The list could go on and on, but by investing your time you are growing your biggest asset....YOU. Take time to do at least three things that will truly help you grow your biggest asset. Have you taken action? What progress have you seen? What seems to be working? What changes might need to be made? What have you learned by creating action in your life? Write down thoughts about your progress and/or your thoughts about where you are going. Take 15 minutes right now to begin.

If you haven’t created any to do lists or taken any action, I suggest one of two things at this point. Either get serious about getting serious and start doing something NOW, or forget about change and just be happy with where you are in your life. Sound harsh? Only you can change yourself, and if you haven’t started yet, either do so or stop kidding yourself.

Execution Is A Funny Thing

2011-12-01T07:40:00.000-08:00

Execution is a funny thing. Most people know what to do, but actually doing it and taking action is a completely different game. In the execution phase an organization must focus on giving everyone necessary the proper training and development to be successful! Everyone must flawlessly execute their roles and responsibilities! The right skills and tools must be given to people inside the organization to execute the plan of attack!

There must be time given to learn the new skills and tools and everyone must not waiver and execution must be encouraged from day one! The organization must coach people along the way to help them get comfortable with all the skills, behaviors, tools, and changes. It works the same with individuals. Let’s look at driving a stick shift again. When learning how to really execute we go through different stages of learning. All of us have a comfort zone and we must work hard at expanding our comfort zone if we want to improve. Remember the first time you drove a stick shift? Let me take you back one step prior, remember when you sat in the passenger’s seat, before you knew how to drive a stick shift and watched somebody drive the stick shift that knew how? You probably said what I said at the time, “that looks easy”. At that point with driving a stick shift I was in what I call unconscious incompetent. In other words I did not know I was stupid. Not calling anyone stupid, just want to make the point. Now you get behind the wheel and the car dies, you restart the car 12 times, and someone is yelling, “push in the clutch”. Now I became conscious incompetent, or now I knew that I was, yes, stupid. But something happens after you practice over and over and over again. I finally reached the point to where I could drive the car, but I still had to think about it. This is the conscious competent stage. Good yet still must think about things as you go. You probably won’t admit it, but we would talk to ourselves and say things such as, “easy on the clutch” or “make sure to get in reverse not fourth gear”, or we would be stopped on a hill and someone was right behind us in our rearview mirror. We would say “&^%$” and then burn out the clutch to move forward. Now at some point you reach the stage where you are so good that you don’t even think about it anymore. You just start the car and off you go. This is the unconscious competent stage. It becomes second nature. This takes time and lots of practice to be able to execute on an unconscious level. As people go through these levels of learning we must encourage even the slightest of positive improvement or movement in the right direction!

First we must help people realize what they don’t know and help them create a learning gap, or they will think that they already know “how to do it”. If we shatter confidence when someone is in the conscious incompetent stage, it’s likely they will never expand their comfort zone. Remember when we talked about justification. People can justify why they never learned to drive a stick shift, or talk themselves into believing that an automatic is better. They do this when they feel discouraged when learning anything new. Justification is the mask when there is little confidence.

Once the execution phase is coming in for a landing and people are in the conscious competent stage mid-course adjustments must be made if needed. Getting everyone executing the fundamentals and principles of the plan of attack should be the number one focus. Results should be on the back burner with faith that executing on the right activities will provide the right results. Results are the end zone; executing on the right activities is each first down along the way.

Action Eliminates “Quiet Desperation”

2011-11-21T08:02:00.000-08:00

Hopefully by now you have thought about and written down all the things you want to accomplish, both personally and professionally, and you are beginning to take action and move in the right direction. This is where we have to make it clear that we are not a “motivational speaking” company. The Chad Carden Group is a consulting organization that believes in getting results by execution and not by spending a lot of time discussing theory. Now to do that, we have to be realists. We tell you like we see it, and either you like it or you don’t. That being said we are not writing this to make you mad, but to make you think. Most people will never accomplish what they want to accomplish this year or next year or in their lifetime because they do not put their plan into action.

Having a vision, goals, and a plan on how to achieve these things is important and the first step, but without action it is 100% useless. We believe in writing down goals, visions, plans, and thinking positive, and at CCG we do all these things. But positive thinking alone won’t change anything. If you want to get in shape, just having a positive attitude for thirty days won’t do it. You have to have a great attitude along with taking action, such as going to the gym, eating healthy, exercising, and doing the things that you probably don’t want to always do. You could have the best workout plan, but without actually getting on the machine, lifting weights, doing pushups and sit ups, or running, the workout plan is 100% useless.

We all have heard or read that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. If you want things to be different you have to change what you do. Simple, period, that’s the way that it is. It reminds me of a story I once heard about a bear in a cage. The zoo put this bear in a cage that was ten feet long. They put the bear at one end, and put the food at the other end. Every day the bear would walk ten feet and eat, then go back over and lay down. Walk ten feet and eat, then go back over and lay down; he did this for ten years in the zoo. Everybody would watch him. They removed the cage one day, ten feet forward the bear would go over and eat, and then go back without bars….ten feet forward the bear would go over and eat, and then go back without bars. Now here is what’s scary, they moved the food fifteen feet away from the bear, and the bear went ten feet and stopped.

So many people in life get comfortable with what they have. They are ten feet forward and ten feet back. They get up and do the same things over and over and over again expecting different results. Then when the game of life is over, a lot of them look over their shoulder and say, “what happened?” Now the beautiful thing about living in a free society is that you don’t have to change or do anything differently. I believe that most people are living lives of what is called “quiet desperation.” Quiet desperation is where people have enough that it is not worth doing anything different, but they always ask the question: “Isn’t there more to life than this?”

So if you are sick and tired of being sick and tired with some area or areas in your life, change your actions, which in-turn, will change your results. What can you do today that will help you accomplish whatever it is you want to accomplish this year? Maybe you need to change careers, maybe you need to save some money, and maybe you need to move a relationship forward (or get out of one). Whatever it is, we suggest you do it and you do it today. Like the Nike slogan: “Just Do It”.

Build Skills And Abilities

2011-11-14T08:26:00.000-08:00

How do we build confidence? By building and developing our skills and abilities. Most of the time we get “skill” and “will” confused. Too many times we fall into the “will” trap when it’s truly a “skill” issue and take the wrong approach with discipline instead of persistence in helping build the skill. Most people will make excuses or display avoidance behavior when they don’t have the confidence in their ability. Rarely does one display a “will” issue when they have confidence in their skills. If you know how to drive a stick shift you are more willing to drive one. If you don’t have confidence in driving a stick shift you might make “excuses” or come up with reasons why you can’t drive a stick shift. Same holds true with giving a presentation, or a sales call. If you’re confident in your abilities you will be the first to step up and say I can and will do it, but if you’re not confident excuses begin to creep in and others might look at it as an attitude problem or a “will” issue. Most people will make up excuses, not because they have a bad attitude, but because they don’t feel confident with their ability or their comfort level is low. That is why persistence while executing is crucial to positive movement, along with giving lots of encouragement along the way.

I was watching a football game the other day and was amazed by how intense it got when the game was close at the 2 minute warning. It seems as if the offense, which couldn’t move the ball all game, suddenly had a new game plan and was moving the ball at will against a defense that had stopped them up until that point in the game. However, if the game hadn’t been that close, the team’s intensity may have gone down and the players could have begun to “give up” and get ready for next week’s game. Sometimes that is how we are as human beings. If we have had a great year, and things are continuing to progress in a positive way, then our intensity goes up at the end of the year. If our year has just been the same year over and over, then we are saying, “I can’t wait until next year, things are going to be different, I am going to start over……” Get my drift?

I am going to challenge everyone reading this to persist through obstacles and those “curve balls” that life throws you, no matter what you are going through, persist! Don’t “write off” this year, this month, or this day. Don’t wait until next year, next month, or tomorrow to make changes, do it now. Make forward progress now and think about how much further you will be when next year, next month, or tomorrow is here. You’ll never know what progress you can make unless you take action. Here is one of my favorite quotes: “Actions may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action”. Benjamin Disraeli (Former British Prime Minister).

If things are going great, do something positive to keep your momentum. If you would rather forget the recent past, do something positive now, that will move you in the right direction. Once again, we cannot change the past, we can only influence and impact the future.

Thinking Big

2011-10-31T05:48:00.000-07:00

I have to believe that all of us sometimes don’t think big enough. I think big, and that has allowed me things in life that others may not have the chance to experience, yet I was very humbled after I read a story about Steve Wynn. Steve Wynn built the first “Mega” Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada (The Mirage, which is now owned by MGM). When Steve built it he had a construction loan, and his goal was to pay off the loan in seven years. When he went to his accountants and all of his financial team, he asked them what it was going to take to pay off the loan in his seven year timeframe. After they did the math they told him that he would have to profit $1 million dollars a day, 365 days a year, for the next seven years. If that happened he would be free of his loan in seven years. $1 million dollars a day profit, after he paid all his staff, and all his bills he would need to have $1 million dollars left each day, every day for the next seven years. Wow! To me that seemed impossible, but to Steve it wasn’t. Steve set his vision, to pay the loan off in seven years, and then he shared his vision with everyone on his team. They put a game plan together (preparation), and began to execute. What happened after they began to execute their plan? Well, Mr. Wynn didn’t pay off his loan in seven years; he did it in 18 MONTHS!!!! A year and a half is all it took for him to pay it off, which means he probably profited $4, 5, 6, 7, 8 million dollars a day, every day!! The best part about it is that after 18 months, all that profit went back into the company’s pocket and he could do what he wanted with it; he could invest it back into the business, save it, or spend it! Now I am not saying that all of us are going to profit $1 million dollars a day, but I would say that this story is a great reminder for all of us to think bigger than what we do; also that taking time to prepare a great game plan is the first step to executing. As Steve said, “Doubts don’t build empires…..Imagination does.” So let your imagination run as you set your vision and goals. Stretch you mind, spirit, and body and you just might be amazed at the results. Sarah, who is my wife and best friend, and I have been blessed at a very early age in life, but we make it our mission to “stretch” our thinking, and we encourage you to do the same!

Happiness Helps Us Persist

2011-10-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

Happiness is a choice, and when we are focused and happy it’s easier (not easy) to persist through obstacles. We must choose everyday to be happy, while at the same time know what our definition of success looks like and strive daily to move towards that definition. You need to get out of your rut, which is just a grave without the dirt kicked in. My question again is, are you truly happy? I believe that it isn’t necessary to have reached your definition of success to be happy, but you must be moving in the right direction. If the answer is yes, pat yourself on the back. If your answer is no, then start now and begin to move in the right direction of success for you. If you haven’t yet, start by defining what success is for you, it must be yours, and then take the first step. Remember; don’t try to reach success tomorrow. Persist through the obstacles, and be patient as you move towards success whether you move a mile or an inch, the key is to move in the right direction. If you’re doing that, you will eventually get there.

Living in the present also creates happiness and persistence requires us to live in the moment and have a short memory when it comes to our missteps. Quit living in the past, it’s over, stop worrying about the future (it may never come) and just live in the moment. Michael St. Lawrence once said to me, “where you are is where you should be." If we can all live by that statement, life becomes a hell of a lot easier. Rick Leffke once said, “The goal when it’s all said and done, is to look back and say, that was a hell of a great ride!” To do that you must enjoy every minute. Stop to appreciate all the great things you have in your life and stop worrying about what’s not right. Also, forget about what you can’t control. Focus on what you can do to make your situation or life better. St. Lawrence is a deep philosopher and he said that one can argue that nothing else is happening in the world than where you are, and that’s why where you are is where you should be. Enjoy every moment. Enjoy where you are. Live in that moment. Carpe Diem, seize the day. There is no better time to start than now. When you do this, persisting through any challenges you encounter becomes easier.

Productivity Is An Interesting Topic

2011-10-13T08:57:00.000-07:00

Productivity (execution) in the workplace is a measurement that most companies look at and measure. Large companies have so many challenges with productivity that they probably waste an average of 10,000 hours a day, 50,000 hours a week and 200,000 hours a month! To make that relevant, if we work 40 hours a week, for 50 weeks a year for 45 years that’s 90,000 hours we would spend working. In two weeks large companies’ waste more hours than we work our entire life and that’s from a conservative view. Now, I must point out that these numbers are not scientific, and I have zero foundation to publish these numbers, but after working with very large organizations for over ten years, I have reached these very non-scientific numbers.

As I work projects with large companies I’m always amazed at how these large organizations make money. Now I understand that lost productivity is always built into the overall business plan, but what I see is absolutely absurd. Way too much time is wasted every day. What could we do with that time? Continue to waste it, spend it or invest it. You could cut the workforce by 25% and still get 50 % more productivity!

What we need to do is evaluate, who is doing what, and is what they are doing productive or just busy? We have a lot a people working in that “rocking chair”. Remember, a rocking chair has a lot of movement but never moves forward. Are we productive or just busy? Most people split time between the two, and to be productive 100% of the time is not realistic. That being said we must evaluate what jobs are truly productive and what jobs spend most of their time being busy. Most people should be doing at least 75% of productive or profitable action, and if not, we should think about eliminating the position, or finding a role for them that is more suitable for them and the organization. Wasting our time is what we do best. We could continue to waste time and most companies would continue to move in whatever direction they are moving in. Some will continue to grow, some will stumble, and others will go under. But what if we concentrated on spending or investing our time a little more wisely? Just say 10% wiser; I’m not even looking for a huge leap here. What could 10% more productivity mean to a large organization? To a small business? To an individual? Let’s take a look at a large organization. If they waste 50,000 hours a week, what if they could buy back 5,000 hours of time per week, 20,000 hours of time per month? That might be worth looking into don’t you think? What about a small business? What if a small business could buy back 40 hours a month (10 employees 4 hours a month more productivity)? That’s 480 hours a year. Not bad. What about an individual? What if we could be more productive by 15 minutes each workday to move our career in the right direction, or 15 minutes a day building our abilities, or 15 minutes a day spending more quality time with our family? To be conservative let’s say we only do this 4 days a week, leaving 3 days to do our same routine. That’s 60 minutes a week, 4 hours a month, 48 hours a year. Over ten years that’s 480 hours of being more productive. In ten years could you build a business? Grow your career? Grow your family? Build your marketability? Hopefully all of us will see ten years, so here is the question. If we do or if we don’t become more productive, what’s the cost? Ten years will come and go, so what are we going to do with our time, waste it, spend it, or invest it?

If I told you every day you wake up you would have $1440 in your bank account, you couldn’t save it, and whatever you didn’t spend you would lose, what would you do with it? That is how many minutes each day we have? How are you going to spend and invest your time?

WHAT ARE YOU TRAINING YOUR CUSTOMERS/CLIENTS TO SAY?

2011-10-03T08:34:00.000-07:00

My argument is that we condition or train our customers to say NO. For example, the retail world has trained us to say no. What do you typically say when you walk into a store and a clerk says “Can I help you?” Most people will say, “No I’m just -----?” That’s right, “looking.” When we call into a service or sales center and someone says, “While I help you with that, I want to look at your account and check to see what other services are available in your area”, what do you immediately think? Most will throw up their guard and say “they’re going to try to sell me something.” We must change our mindset to figure out what we are truly trying to accomplish when approaching our customer. Our transitions can be the “tipping point” in our conversations with our customers. It’s not what we say, but more importantly how we say it; our transition must be “inviting to our customers”, we must make it easy for our customers to walk down the path of a sales conversation that allow our customers to “buy” and not have a feeling of “I’m being sold”. There is a difference between buying something and being sold something. For example, if I went down to a car dealership and was talked into buying a car, signed the paperwork and drove off the lot, my mindset would be one of “oh boy was I sold on that one”. Now same car dealership but this time they actually take the time to find out about me, what I’m looking for in a car, and help me find the right car for me. At this point I would sign the paperwork, drive off the lot, and my mindset would be different. This time it would be more of a “look what I just bought” mentality, and there’s a big difference. People love to buy, but hate being sold.

We must work hard to create a buying environment for our customers. How do we do that? First thing is we must stop being predictable. When our customers know our next move we are in a losing battle. We must keep our customers thinking about benefits to them when buying from us. Not, “Oh now here comes the part when they are going to try and sell me something” attitude. Start asking your customers questions that truly make them think. Consciously be aware of every question you ask and always have a purpose for the question you are asking or don’t ask it. Too many times we ask questions because we think that’s the right thing to do. Consciously think to yourself, “What information do I need to gather to provide my customer with the best possible solution for them?” Then ask the right questions that will get you the information you need to help them. Helping your customer is selling to your customer. A lot of times I hear, “I want to give them the best customer service possible, but don’t want to sell!” I can argue that if you don’t sell them what they need/want you are not providing great customer service. Also, when asking questions your tone of voice needs to be a curious tone. Gathering information must be a conversation, not an interrogation. This is the key when creating a buying environment. When customers and prospects feel that you are only asking questions to benefit yourself they will immediately shut down or be very guarded with their answers. They will only open up if they know you are truly interested in them. Quit training your customers to say no and start inviting them to say YES.

Create The Right Career Habits Now

2011-09-21T13:56:00.000-07:00

Getting ahead in your career can be easier if you make the choice to build the right behaviors, attitudes and habits now. Below are five key areas to keep in mind when creating the right career habits.

1. Be part of the solution not the problem: After working with dozens of companies, most being fortune 500, I have found that most individuals spend way too much energy and time on everything that is “wrong” with their company or their department, or their supervisor instead of what is “right”. Focusing on the solution not the problem is a very simple concept, but most people do not put it into practice. Every time I am working with a client and their employees, I bet them that if we spend just one day together and visit the lunchroom, the break room, or any other location that people congregate while at work, we will hear more negative things said about the company, a department or a supervisor than we would positive things. I state that every time we hear something negative they have to give me $100 and every time we hear something positive I will give them $100, and amazingly no one has ever taking me up on my bet, Why? Because most people are focused on everything that is wrong versus right. To differentiate yourself for your career, focus on things that are right, not wrong, and if there is something that is wrong, focus your time and energy on ways to solve the problem. Never bring up something that is wrong with your organization, or your employer without having a few options or suggestions on ways to improve the situation. This one habit alone can help you catapult your career or business forward.

2. Don’t suck up: Is attitude contagious? Do you know anyone that when they enter a room the room brightens up a little bit? How about the opposite, do you know anyone that when they leave the room the room brightens up a little bit? Attitude is definitely contagious, and you want to be the person that brightens the room when you enter, not when you exit, but you must be sincere when doing so. Enthusiasm is not always about being a “cheerleader”, it is more about caring and being sincere in everything you do. I’m not saying don’t be helpful, flexible, and willing to take on tasks that will help your supervisor or department, because those things are important. Just make sure you are doing things for the right reasons, and not just to “get ahead” quickly. Most people can read through anyone that is fake and has self-serving motives.

3. Expect criticism: Anyone trying to advance in life, business, or their career should expect others to criticize them. As you grow in your career or life you will find more and more people that will begin to give their “opinion” of you. Think about this for a moment. The person in the highest held office in this country, The President of the United States, is always facing others criticizing him. celebrities, CEO’s, sport stars, leaders inside organizations; all of these people get enormous criticism daily. Why? Because as humans it is easier to find fault in others than in ourselves. Remember tip #1, most people will look to the negative; before the positive, and the more success you experience the more exposed you are to others, leading to criticism. Criticism is part of success and should be expected. Trying to avoid criticism or think that you will be immune is unrealistic and will only lead to disappointment. As a matter of fact, being criticized should be looked to as a positive thing, it means you are making things happen and growing in your career.

4. Talk less, listen more, and help others discover "their undiscovered greatness within": Remember, every person you meet has the potential to be even better. Open ended questions with a desire to learn are crucial to growing your career. One of the absolute best chapters ever written on this is in Stephen Covey's "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" and it is the section titled, Listen to Understand, Not to Respond. Be curious, be interested to learn. Remember that asking open ended questions with a sincere desire to learn can and will build trust and rapport. Help the people you are around to look beyond their problems and get inspired with the incredible miracle that lies right in front of them. Always try to leave people with positive thoughts and encouragement. Remind them of their potential. This kind of encouragement has amazing power and when you start using it every day, I am convinced that you start pulling greatness out of yourself and open yourself up to some of life's greatest treasures. One of the true gifts that life has to offer is the amazing feeling we get when we look another human being in the eyes and make them aware of the amazing potential that lies within them! This will make you unique, but you must be sincere at all times!

5. Continue to work on your communication skills: Communication is what keeps things moving forward. Many great leaders say, if one can master communication they can write their own ticket inside the organization. The better you are at communicating, the more value you are capable of generating on a daily basis. Start a "communication reminder journal" and write your insights into it about do's and don'ts around communication. Read those insights daily and weekly. Improve your communication skills by studying communication for at least 15 minutes per day. Master the art of communication now and many doors will open for you in the future. Grow your network of people by communicating to others the value you bring to any organization. Once again be sincere, not just self-serving. Understand and communicate that if you can help the organization you know they will help you. Challenge yourself to build your communication skills daily. Schedule 15 minutes into your day where you put yourself into a situation that will help practice your communications skills. If you do this every day all that practice will really start to pay off. Remember,the more you listen to others,the better you'll get at helping them to improve.

Use these five tips and begin to start building the right behaviors, skills, attitudes, and habits today! Good Luck!

Taking Control Of Your Life

2011-09-07T07:16:00.000-07:00

How do we take control? There are a lot of different ways. We can watch where our $$ is going; make sure we love what we are doing; take care of our family by loving them; be thankful for all the great things in our lives and don’t get frustrated by short term obstacles. A good friend of mine in New Orleans always says, “Tough times don’t last, tough people do!” We all go through our own “roller coasters” in life, and yes what is happening with our economy does have an impact on each of us. That being said, we must remain focused on what we can control. Can you spend less today? Can you save a little more money? Can you tell someone you care about that you love them and how much they mean to you? Can you read something that will enhance your mind? Can you do something today that will make your situation better? Remember, today is the only day you have. Yesterday is gone, and tomorrow is not here yet. Make the most of today by focusing on what is right, not what is wrong.

I was on a flight from Chicago to Newark and had a very interesting experience. I am amazed these days how much tension there is in the general public. People are worried about their jobs, money, what to get the family for the holidays, what our economy is going to do in 2011, etc. Most people are taking it out on everyone around them. The flight was like most flights these days, a full flight. I was one of the first people on the plane and had a ringside seat to the show. With about 10 minutes left before departure, the overhead bins were full and customers had to start taking their bags off the plane and check them to their final destination where they could pick them up at baggage claim. The flight attendant and the gate agent began to fight about customers having coats in the overhead space. The gate agent began to throw customer’s coats from the overhead space onto the center aisle of the plane, not even asking which coat belonged to which customer. It was such a bad customer experience that the customers began to argue. Next thing I knew, there were 10-15 people screaming at each other with no solution in sight. About that time a flight attendant from the back of the plane made her way forward not saying a word, just picking up coats and finding out which coat belonged to which customer. In about 5 minutes she had the situation under control and had managed to calm down everyone that was involved in the screaming match just minutes earlier. I realized that the only thing she did different was to be helpful and look for solutions instead of being part of the problem, and she took action. She took positive action that moved the situation in a positive direction. She took control of the situation in her life.

Too many times we don’t look for solutions because it is much easier to be part of the problem these days, and we can always seem to justify our actions. Next time you are in a challenging situation, make it a point to find solutions, be helpful and take positive action. Put things into positive execution and you will be amazed how much more progress you can make just by being helpful. Take control of your life, make the necessary changes, focus on what is right and you will be surprised at the results.

RECOMMIT TO YOUR VISION OF SUCCESS

2011-08-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

Summer is almost over, you are back from vacation, the kids are going back to school, but you are having a hard time in your journey of life. Maybe you have lost some of the excitement that you had so much of before the summer began! Maybe you are frustrated with where you are in your business, your job, your relationship or your financial situation. Maybe you are tempted to start looking for something new even though you know that what you are doing is right for you and your family. Stop, look into the mirror, and remember the “4 phases of attitude” we as humans go through in different times of our life. The first phase is the excitement phase, the second phase is the frustration phase, the third phase is the looking phase and the fourth phase is the recommitment phase. If you have already defined what success means to you! If you have already set the proper goals to get there! If you already have the right road map or blue print! If you are already executing or taking the proper action! Relax, smile, you know what you need to do to get out of your funk and get on down the road!

You must recommit to what you are driven to do. Once again we all get frustrated, but when we recommit it’s easy to get excited again and this time it’s a real or true commitment, helping us stay excited about what we are doing.

Three things we must do to recommit:

1. Set goals

2. Get around the right people

3. Keep in mind our long-term vision

If we can recommit to our career, a relationship, a new start, our business, our job and get excited again by setting goals, thinking about our long-term vision and where we truly want to end up to reach our success, it is amazing what we can accomplish.

We at The Chad Carden Group have recommitted to our goals and dreams. We have the right road map and blue print and we are executing and taking the proper actions. We challenge you to join us. If we can help you on your journey please let us know.

Don’t Let The Fear of Failure (FOF) Stop You From Reaching Your Definition Of Success

2011-08-14T04:20:00.001-07:00

In today’s world fear of failure (FOF) can stop you from achieving success. Most of you know that I believe in order for you to be successful you must first define what success means to you. Once you know what success means to you don’t let FOF slow you down. All of us like to succeed at whatever we do. The problem comes when FOF becomes dominant in our lives. It is important to accept that we all are going to make mistakes and that trial and error is the best way to find creative solutions that will keep us moving in the right direction.

Everyone who has become successful (whatever success means to them) has experienced failure. It is safe to say that the most successful people in the world have probably had the most failures. It took Thomas Edison 18 months of consistent failures going through over 1,000 combinations of gas and filament before he found a light bulb that would last and produce light. It took the Wright Brothers over 4 years of failures before their first successful motor powered flight. Most of us do not consider Edison or the Wright Brothers as failures.

Could it be that you are holding yourself back because of FOF? Are the prospects of another round of criticism from family, friends or co-workers preventing you from taking the risks that might help you improve? Hopefully you are more like Edison and the Wright Brothers, holding the vision of a workable outcome, doing the work required and finding that persistence is a big part of the process. Realize that you are going to fail at times, but learn from your failures. When you fail, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get on down the road toward your definition success.

We believe in you and know that you will succeed. If we can help you, as you travel towards your definition of success, please let us know!

The Rocking Chair Syndrome

2011-07-26T11:49:00.000-07:00

“Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday.”

Don Marquis. (1878-1937, American Humorist, Journalist)

With anything we do in life, action is required to move forward. We can have the best plan in the world, set realistic goals, and put everything in a journal, but without action, all of it is useless. I believe a lot of people get caught up in the “rocking chair” syndrome. That is where they are busy, but not doing the things that move them forward. A rocking chair moves, but never forward.

Here is the challenge. Ask yourself, “What action can I take that will move me forward? Even if you only move an inch, that is better than standing still. Also ask yourself, “What action do I need to get rid of, so I can move forward?” Get out of your “rocking chair” syndrome and start moving in the right direction of your dreams and goals.

As you take action consciously keep in mind the enemy, procrastination. Have you ever procrastinated? I know that I have. Do you have an idea for a business? Do you want to do something for your sweetheart, your family, yourself? I think everyone has an idea that can make their life or the life of others better either spiritually, physically, financially, mentally, or emotionally, and now the key is to take action!

Sarah and I are in the middle of making a lot of decisions both personally and professionally, and the key is action. My parents once told me that when you have an idea, “do something” to make it come true. You might do something wrong, you might have to start over, but action creates progress. Either you gain momentum from your actions or you learn from them on what to do and what not to do. Momentum is the key to watching an idea come to fruition. I am learning along the way, but every day I am gaining momentum which creates excitement, and more importantly, results. If you want to start a business, go back to school, or make a relationship stronger, I say start now. Some might say, “But it will take “years” before I see results. My answer is this, yes it might, however where will you be in “years” if you don’t act? One thing for certain is that time will not stop. So in 2-5 years from now will your life be different? Or will it be the same and you keep looking back saying those famous words, “I wish I would have”.

Why don’t people take action? I learned many years ago from Doug Wead that many times it boils down to two major reasons, FOF and FOP. FOF is the fear of failure and FOP is the fear of people. Why are we continuing to conform to a society that gives us a 90% chance of being dead or broke at the age of 65? I am not trying to scare you or make you mad, I am just trying to make you think. You don’t have to take it from me, if you will follow 100 people, at the age of 65 you will find that 25% of them will be dead. As for the lucky ones that live to be 65 here is the rough breakdown: 40% have to rely on relatives to survive, 30% will rely on welfare and social security to survive, 20% will still be working to survive. I am sure that not one of the 90% said I can’t wait to turn 65 so I can end up in one of these buckets. Why then do so many end up this way? Real simple, they didn’t take action and they conformed to a society that says, “don’t take risks, you can’t do it, just get a good job and try to save a little money for retirement.” Here is what I say; “Life is too short, take action and take it now!” forget about FOF and FOP. As far as what people will think about you, my dad put it this way; “don’t worry about what people think about you, because they don’t think about you”. Best of luck as you travel down your road to success. I believe you will get there, but the most important thing is that you believe you will get there and EXECUTE to make it happen.

Persisting Through Setbacks

2011-07-07T13:29:00.000-07:00

In today’s world, it is easy to let short term setbacks in life look a lot bigger than they really are. I understand setbacks, we have had our fair share, but setbacks are only temporary, we must keep our eyes on our long-term goals. If you are going through a tough time right now, in any area of your life, it is so easy to get caught up worrying about it 24 hours a day. Also, if all you think about are your short-term setbacks you are not focusing your energy where it should be, which is finding a solution, solving the issues and getting back on track. You must deal with your setbacks. We all have them, but letting them steal your confidence, and plan for the long-term is not the answer, we must continue to persist through these setbacks. Setbacks in life do not mean that you are not moving forward. As a matter of fact, one can argue, the more setbacks you are having in your life the more you are growing and moving towards your vision. Life is a game of peaks and valleys, and we must have the ability to handle both sides of the coin.

5 Weeks To A Better Life

2011-03-30T07:42:00.000-07:00

Are you wanting to improve in at least one area of your life? If so, be on the lookout for CCG's next DVD. "Five Weeks To A Better Life". This DVD can and will change your life if you execute the plan. How does the DVD help?

-It helps you define success and customize your definition for you.

-It helps you customize a plan for action.

-It helps you EXECUTE your plan.

We hope 2011 is going great. Remember successful people do the things that unsuccessful people are not willing to do!

Make it happen and Let's Continue To Talk About Success!

CCG!

Next Step: Execution

2011-01-27T11:52:00.000-08:00

Moving forward, we need to think execute, execute, execute! Enough debating "the best way" just start taking action! Take action with your life, your career, your dreams, your goals for your family, etc.....and STOP debating theory!

I would bet (I love to bet when the odds are in my favor) that all of us have something in our life that we "have wanted to do" for awhile now. We talked about it, and thought about ways to accomplish it, but just haven't taken action yet. That all changes today!

Here Is The Challenge: For the next 5 days do one thing per day that is going to help you move towards a goal you have! I don't care what that goal is (Pick one). It could be to lose weight, it could be to work on a relationship, it could be to polish up your resume, or to find a new career/job, or whatever other areas you have goals in. Consciously make a decision that for the next 5 days you are going to do at least one thing that will move you closer or help you reach your goal.

Your goal could be big, small or somewhere in between. Today just pick a goal and start taking action. See what progress can be made in the next five days.

Let me know how it goes! I would love to hear success stories!

Chad

Why P.E.P.P.?

2011-01-14T06:09:00.001-08:00

What does the P.E.P.P. Formula do for others? Why should I use the P.E.P.P. formula? These are great questions, and should be asked by anyone looking for ways to help set themselves up for success!

Let us see if we can help answer these questions! The P.E.P.P. (Preparation, Execution, Persistence, and Patience) Formula really helps you do three things when it comes to success:

1. It helps you define your own definition: Too many people live someone else's definition of success, not their own, and P.E.P.P. helps you define what your definition of success is in many different areas of your life.

2. Helps you create a customized plan: Once you define success, then you must create a plan that works for you to help you reach success (however you define success). The plan has many different parts and P.E.P.P. helps you break it down making sure everything in your plan helps you set yourself up for success.

3. Helps you EXECUTE your plan: Once you have the plan that is right for you, you must EXECUTE. Most people never get this far, because theory is always easier than actual execution. Most people want to live in the theory world. There are thousands of books on getting in shape or losing weight. Execution says, "shut your pie hole and get on a treadmill". P.E.P.P. helps you break through the barriers of execution and watch your vision become a reality.

For more information about P.E.P.P please visit our products!

We hope your 2011 is the best year ever, and you move towards, or reach, what you define as success!

The CCG Team!

Welcome To The New Look At The Chad Carden Group

2010-11-13T04:56:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the new and updated CCG! Thanks for visiting us and we hope you enjoy your stay. We have many new and exciting things happening at CCG so stay tuned. The new book, "P.E.P.P.: Preparation, Execution, Persistence, Patience, A Rulebook to Achieving Success In Any Area Of Your Life" is now out and available online and at all major bookstores. We are working on a new DVD and have two CD's that are ready for production.We hope 2010 has been a great year for you and we challenge you to finish strong as 2010 comes to a close.

Three things you can do to make sure 2010 finishes great for you:

1. Quit procrastinating, and take action on something you have been wanted to do all year.

2. Focus on what is going right, not on the negative things that might be temporarily in your life.

3. Decide to control your attitude, and remember that life is 10% what happens to us, and 90% how we react to it.

We will be making constant updates so please continue to check back and Let's Continue To Talk About Success!

Thanks To Our Veterans!

2010-11-11T04:18:00.001-08:00

Today is Veteran's Day and we at The Chad Carden Group want to take this time to say ”thank you” and “salute” our Veterans. While you may agree or disagree with our Countries policies, it is time to stop and say thank you to those who have given their lives and to those who are standing watch over our country today. We live in the greatest country in the world and it is made possible by those who ask no questions nor judge, but serve so that we are able to be free. We say thank you to their families who sacrifice so much and with little fan fare and allow their father’s, mothers, son’s, and daughter’s to serve this great country and ask little in return. My dad, who is a Veteran, as he travels around the world always, seeks out these people in airports or wherever he sees anyone in uniform and shakes their hands and thanks them for serving. Take some time when you see anyone in uniform and let them know that you appreciate what they are doing to keep America free. It is because of what they do that we are able to prosper and have the choices that we have today. God bless America and Her Veteran’s and Let’s Continue To Talk About Success!

Welcome To The New Look At The Chad Carden Group

2010-11-07T16:54:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the new and updated CCG! Thanks for visiting us and we hope you enjoy your stay. We have many new and exciting things happening at CCG so stay tuned. The new book, "P.E.P.P.: Preparation, Execution, Persistence, Patience, A Rulebook to Achieving Success In Any Area Of Your Life" is now out and available online and at all major bookstores. We are working on a new DVD and have two CD's that are ready for production.

We hope 2010 has been a great year for you and we challenge you to finish strong as 2010 comes to a close. Three things you can do to make sure 2010 finishes great for you:

1. Quit procrastinating, and take action on something you have been wanted to do all year.

2. Focus on what is going right, not on the negative things that might be temporarily in your life.

3. Decide to control your attitude, and remember that life is 10% what happens to us, and 90% how we react to it.

We will be making constant updates so please continue to check back and Let's Continue To Talk About Success!

P.E.P.P. New Release Date

2010-08-15T13:48:00.001-07:00

We continue to look into the best way to take Chad's next book and go to market with it. We are in a holding pattern as we explore many different options that have been presented to us in the past few weeks. We are pleased with the initial response to P.E.P.P. and many different companies have expressed interest in the book. We are moving our release date back, and now have a December 1st 2010 release date scheduled. We have received many questions surrounding the book and when it will come out, so we wanted to update everyone about the change. Thank you for your questions, interest and more importantly your patience. We want to give our readers the best book possible, and delaying the release will allow us to do just that.

Be on the lookout soon, and we will continue to keep you updated.

CBS Radio Affiliate/Move Forward

2010-07-20T19:23:00.000-07:00

Chad was recently interviewed on the CBS Radio Affiliate artistfirst.com on a success show called "Plugged In" by Tim Wambach. To listen to the interview please click on the link below.

"Plugged In" The Interview with Chad Carden from The Chad Carden Group

(The interview might take up to 1-2 minutes to load so please be patience)

Three things you can do right now to help you move forward:

1. Write down ten things you have to be thankful for.

2. Call someone that you owe some appreciation to, and let them know the positive impact they have had on your life.

3. Take the first step towards completing a project that has been on your "to do" list for awhile.

For more of these great tips sign up to receive our monthly "Talking About Success" Newsletter.

Make it a great day, week, month and year!

The CCG Team!

P.E.P.P. New Release Date

2010-06-29T18:38:00.000-07:00

We continue to look into the best way to take Chad's next book "P.E.P.P." and go to market with it. We on in a holding pattern right now as we look at many different options that have been presented to us in the last few weeks. We have moved our release date until December 1st of this year, because we want to make sure we give our readers the best book possible. We have been receiving questions about the release date and we know we had previous mentioned mid August. Thanks for all your requests and questions about P.E.P.P. and more importantly thank you for your patience. It's on the way, we are just making a few updates and changes to give you a better experience.

Be on the lookout in the months to come.

Thanks,

CCG

"FUNDAMISMS"

2010-06-10T12:19:00.000-07:00

The Chad Carden Group is busy this year expanding our offerings. We continue to team up with The Next Level to work with clients such as ATT and UBS Financial Services. We are teaming up with One Life (L1FE) and working together to create "Fundamisms". What are "Fundamisms"? "Fundamisms" are different concepts we can do everyday to live a more fulfilled life, and have a lot more fun. Stay tuned to figure out what they are and how they can change your life.

We also continue to look at more and more keynote events and we are launching a brand new arm of CCG. Chad's book P.E.P.P. is in editing right now, and should be released by the end of July or first of August. Our goal was to make sure the book was ready to go by summer, and we believe we are going to hit our deadline. Be on the lookout for the exact launch date. Lastly Chad is working on his third book titled "Half The World's On Acid". This book should be released by January 2011.

In September we plan on being part of The Life is good Festival in Massachusetts. This is a festival that helps create an atmosphere that spreads the power of optimism to all ages and all proceeds go to the Life is good Kids Foundation. The Foundation uses the power of play to heal and strengthen at risk children whose lives have been deeply impacted by physical violence, illness and extreme poverty.

We hope your year is going great! Keep in mind the only person who can control your attitude is you! We continue to challenge everyone out there to stop looking at where they are today, and start focusing on what they can do to move in a direction that will help them reach their goals!

Thanks for visiting our site!
The CCG Team

Keynote Events

2010-04-15T08:11:00.000-07:00

More and more companies are inquiring about Chad's availability to deliver keynote addresses at their conventions, meetings, and events. CCG is working hard to get more and more promotional videos and materials for these companies so they can make an educated decision to work with Chad and take advantage of his ability to deliver a strong message and connect with his audience. Chad has always delivered keynote addresses, but that has only been a small part of CCG up to this point. Moving forward CCG will aggressively pursue more and more keynote events for companies and organizations that are looking to WOW their people. As you can see we have added a few videos to the site and continue to work with more and more footage to add more videos to show Chad in action. For a free copy of a promotional video of Chad or more material about Chad and CCG please contact us!

Also if you know anyone looking for someone to speak to their group, please let us know and we will be happy to pursue any avenue where we can help companies and individuals succeed.

We hope Q1 of 2010 was a great 3 months and wish you the best of luck with the rest of the year!

The CCG Team!

An Inch Or A Mile.....Move Forward

2010-03-05T03:54:00.001-08:00

A lot of times we get caught up in the "rocking chair" mode, that is where we are busy, but not always productive! A rocking chair has a lot of movement back and forth but never moves forward. Challenge yourself today to move forward, if its an inch or a mile, that doesn't matter as long as you are moving forward in a direction that is going to give you a better career, relationship, financial situation, etc......

Also when you begin to move forward in the right direction for you, don't let your mind play tricks on you. Sometimes we trick ourselves into believing that "this is too good to be true", and think that something "bad" has to be right around the corner. What we find is that once the train gains momentum, it's hard to stop, and having a positive outlook that more great things are to come, can help build that momentum!

2010 is off to an amazing start for CCG, and we expect it to get only better! We truly wish you the best of luck moving forward and remember if there is anything we can do to help please contact us!

Thanks for reading!
CCG

2010: A Great Year!

2010-01-26T20:01:00.000-08:00

2010 is going to be a great year! 2009 is over, 2011 is not here yet, all we have is 2010! Let's make 2010 our best year yet!

We have accomplished and continue to accomplish amazing things. We are helping more and more people set themselves up for success, and we are stretching our goals this year! Our predication is that we will grow more this year, than the past 3 years combined!

Why can we make such bold predictions? Because we are focused, have great clients, work with great people, put ourselves in great situations to succeed! We don't accept mediocrity, we strive for excellence. We are working hard to set ourselves up for greater and greater success!

All that being said, we challenge you to do the same! Contact us and tell us what you are doing in 2010 to make it your best year ever. Best year in business, best year with your family, friends, etc...

We look forward to hearing from you and helping you reach your goals in 2010!

CCG

P.E.P.P. Preview

2010-01-26T19:50:00.000-08:00

Below is a preview from Chad's upcoming book P.E.P.P. (Preparation, Execution, Persistence, and Patience). Be on the lookout for P.E.P.P. in the next 3-4 months! Any questions please contact us!

With anything we do in life ACTION is required to move forward. We can have the best plan in the world, set realistic goals, and put everything on paper, but without ACTION all of it is useless. I believe a lot of people get caught up in the "rocking chair" syndrome. That is where they are busy, but not doing the things that move them forward. A rocking chair moves but never forward. Here is the challenge. Ask yourself, "What ACTION can I take that will move me forward?" Even if you only move an inch, that is better than standing still. Also ask yourself, "What ACTION do I need to get rid of, so I can move forward?"Get out of your "rocking chair" syndrome and start moving in the right direction of your dreams and goals.Have you ever procrastinated? I know that I have. Do you have an idea for a business? Do you want to do something for your sweetheart? Your family? Yourself? I think everyone reading this right now has an idea that can make their life or the life of others better either spiritually, physically, financially, mentally, or emotionally, and now the key is to take action! Sarah and I are in the middle of making a lot of decisions both personally and professionally and the key is action. My parents once told me that when you have an idea, DO SOMETHING to make it come true. You might do something wrong, you might have to start over, but action creates progress. Either you gain momentum from your actions or you learn from them on what to do and what not to do. Momentum is key to watching an idea come to fruition. I am learning along the way, but everyday I am gaining momentum which creates excitement and more importantly results. If you want to start a business, go back to school, make a relationship stronger, I say start NOW! Some might say, “but it will take “years” before I see results” my answer is this, “yes it might, however where will you be in “years” if you don’t act?” One thing is for certain is that time will not stop. So in 2-5 years from now will your life be different? Or will it be the same and you keep looking back saying those famous words, “I wish I would have”?Also many times people won’t take action for two major reasons FOF, and FOP. FOF is the fear of failure and FOP is the fear of people. Why are we continuing to conform to a society that gives us a 90% chance of being dead or broke at the age of 65? I am not trying to scare you or make you mad, I am just trying to make you think! You don’t have to take it from me, if you will follow 100 people at the age of 65 you will find that 25% of them will be dead. Of the people that live to be 65 here is the rough breakdown:-40% have to rely on relatives to survive-30% will rely on welfare and social security to make it-20% will still be working. I am sure that not one of the 90% said I can’t wait to turn 65 so I can end up in one of these buckets. Why then do so many end up this way? Real simple they didn’t take action and they conformed to a society that says, “don’t take risks, you can’t do it, just get a good job and try to save a little money for retirement.” Here is what I say, “Life is too short, take action and take it NOW!”

Challenge Yourself!

2010-01-26T19:30:00.000-08:00

Challenging ourselves can be tough! We get caught up in our day to day duties and sometimes we forget why are are doing these things on a daily basis!I want you to think about, and write down, all the things you want to accomplish in the next 18 months, both personally and professionally.

The great thing about success is that everyone defines it a little differently. One thing that I am sure of is that my definition of success won't motivate you to do anything, and vice-versa your definition will probably not motivate me. We all have to come up with our own definition. When I say think about and write it down, what I mean is get specific. To say, “I want to make more money” isn't good enough. Write down why you want to make more money. Some people want more money to save it, others to spend it. Some want to be able to give it to their children, families, or charities, and yet others think it will make them more important. Having a vision of what you want to accomplish is more than just money. There are many different areas to think about. Family, career, your finances, your health, your relationships with your friends, your social life, etc….the list can go on and on, but the key here is to let your imagination run.

Don’t get caught in your box.I have to believe that all of us sometimes don’t think big enough. I think big, and that has allowed me things in life that others might not have the chance to experience, yet I was very humbled after I read a story on about Steve Wynn. Steve Wynn built the first “Mega” Casino in Las Vegas Nevada (The Mirage, which is now owned by MGM). When Steve built it he had a construction loan, and his goal was to pay off the loan in seven years. When he went to his accountants and all of his financial team, he asked them what it was going to take to pay off the loan in his seven year time frame. After they did the math they told him that he would have to profit $1 million dollars a day, 365 days a year, for the next seven years. If that happened he would be free of his loan in seven years. $1 million dollars a day profit, after he paid all his staff, and all his bills he would need to have $1 million dollars left each day, every day for the next seven years. Wow! To me that seemed impossible, but to Steve it wasn’t. Steve set his vision, to pay the loan off in seven years, and then he shared with everyone on his team. They put a game plan together, and began to execute. Well Mr. Wynn didn’t pay off his loan in seven years; he did it in 18 MONTHS!!!! A year and a half is all it took for him to pay it off, which means he probably profited 4,5,6,7,8 millions dollars a day, every day!! The best part about it is that after 18 months, all that profit went to him!Now I am not saying that all of us are going to profit $1 million dollars a day, but I would say that the story is a good reminder for all of us to think bigger than what we do. As Steve said, “Doubts don’t build empires…..Imagination does.”So let your imagination run as you set your vision and goals.

Stretch you mind, spirit, and body and you just might be amazed at the results.We have a mission in 2010! That is for the next 18 months to “stretch” our thinking, and we encourage you to do the same!

We have accomplished and continue accomplishing amazing things inside CCG, and those accomplishments are only going to get bigger and bigger, and help more and more people set themselves up for success. We are looking forward to the next 18 months and plan to grow even more in the next 18 months than we have in the past 10 years. We encourage you to get out there too, and make great things happen in 2010!

Good Luck in 2010!
CCG

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2010-01-03T02:34:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year from The Chad Carden Group! What happens every new year? Most people reflect back on the year past, and make "new year resolutions" for the future. We believe this is a time to start fresh. People say all the time "I don't set new year resolutions because I never stick to them". We say make this year be different! Actually set a few "resolutions" or whatever you want to call them, that you truly need to accomplish. There are five areas of life that we can all work on: Spiritual, Physical, Financial, Mental, and Emotional. Pick one, two, or all five and think about where you want to or need to grow this year. Set some benchmarks, and take action. Progress is a funny thing, once you begin to see it motivation increases which cause more progress.

The goal of 2010 is to keep moving forward. Get out of your rut, and move in a direction that is right for you! If you move an inch or a mile, that is not relevant at this time. What is relevant is that you move forward, in a predetermined direction, that will help you grow in your life!

Please check out our schedule and if we are going to be close to you please let us know! We would love to meet with anyone looking to grow personally or professionally!

Also Chad will be finishing his book "P.E.P.P" in the first half of 2010. Be on the lookout for this amazing book on how to get what you want in life!

Happy New Year!
CCG

News From Chad

2009-12-03T13:02:00.000-08:00

As we finish 2009, I want to reach out and say thank you to everyone who we have encountered this year. CCG has had its best year to date, and we look forward to even more growth in 2010. We are very thankful! We understand that for many others this year has been a tough one. We encourage everyone to stay strong and believe that brighter days are right around the corner.

We have had the privilege to work with thousands more this year to help them set themselves up for even more success moving forward. We continue to work with some of the most recognized brands such as AT&T, Farmers Insurance, UBS, Redken, Keller Williams Realty, Allergan Pharmaceutical and many more.

We have also worked this year with charities and organizations given back so others might be able to enjoy this year's holiday season.

Finish strong for 2009. If 2009 has been a great year, we congratulate you and wish you all the best moving forward. If 2009 wasn't your best year, then put it behind you and do what it takes to make 2010 a lot better!

If there is anything we can do to help you build a brighter future for your company or yourself please contact us and we will take the necessary steps to move forward!

Again I say thanks and wish everyone the best for their holiday season and the new year!

News and Updates From CCG!

2009-10-12T07:20:00.000-07:00

CCG continues to grow as we help many companies, schools, and individuals grow. We have been working with The Next Level Sales Consulting to help organizations improve the performance of their people to ultimately improve bottom line results.

Steve Johnson, President of The Next Level is working with Stephen Covey (Who wrote the best-selling book "7 Habits Of Highly Effective People" along with other fantastic books) and together they are doing a webinar around improving performance. I recommend everyone attend the webinar to capture some keen insights from these two masters of people improvement. For more information please visit www.nextlevelsalesconsulting.com

Also through TNL and Farmers Insurance we have been nominated for an ASTD award, which it is an honor to be part of the development of "Leading The ServicePoint Way", a leadership program we put together for Farmers Insurance. We are excited to hear the results at the next ASTD event in Chicago!

Between now and the end of the year we are working with TNL and AT&T to help them improve performance with many of their centers to better serve their customers. It's an exciting time to be part of CCG!

If we can be of any assistance in helping you or your organization please contact us!

The CCG Team!

Continue Moving Forward

2009-09-14T06:03:00.000-07:00

We must work hard everyday to continue moving forward in all aspects of life! CCG is doing just that! We are working hard to meet the needs of our clients, and understand that we must take action and be proactive to take full advantage of every opportunity out there. As you are witnessing we are changing and updating our site on a consistent basis. We continue doing more interviews and will be posting those to the site soon.

Today CCG is working with a variety of different companies, and thousands of individuals are being impacted across the globe. We must work hard to answer all the demands of our clients and know that business is getting more and more complicated on a daily basis.In the past 90 days we have worked with UBS, Allergan, Redken, Missouri Department of Higher Education, AT&T, Sprint, Missouri Baptist University and many more people to help set themselves up for success!

Companies are trusting CCG to help them create future successes for their people and their organizations and they put a lot of trust in us. We take that trust very serious and go to great lengths to make sure we deliver on all expectations and results that are expected!If you want true change in your organization or yourself contact us for a free analysis. email info@chadcarden.com and someone will be in contact with you shortly! We wish you the best for the future and let's continue to talk about success!

CCG Is Growing & Changing Everyday!

2009-07-21T05:44:00.000-07:00

Change is a must if you want to continue moving forward in any aspect of life, and CCG is doing just that! We are working hard to meet the needs of our clients, and understand that we must take action and be proactive to take full advantage of every opportunity out there. As you are witnessing we are changing and updating our site on a consistent basis. We have added recent interviews, and will soon be adding video and more and more resources for setting yourself up for success!

Today CCG is working with a variety of different companies, and thousands of individuals are being impacted across the globe. We must work hard to answer all the demands of our clients and know that business is getting more and more complicated on a daily basis.

In the past 90 days we have worked with UBS, Allergan, Redken, Missouri Department of Higher Education, Farmers Insurance, Keller Williams, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney and many more people to help set themselves up for success!

Companies are trusting CCG to help them create future successes for their people and their organizations and they put a lot of trust in us. We take that trust very serious and go to great lengths to make sure we deliver on all expectations and results that are expected!

If you want true change in your organization contact us for a free analysis. email info@chadcarden.com and someone will be in contact with you shortly! We wish you the best for the future and let's continue to talk about success!

Action Is The Key To Making Things Happen

2009-06-15T08:44:00.000-07:00

Hopefully by now you have thought about and written down all the things you want to accomplish in 2009 both personally and professionally, and you are moving in the right direction halfway through this year! This is where we have to make it clear that we are not a "motivational speaking" company, The Chad Carden Group is a consulting organization that believes in getting results, and to do that we have to be realist! We tell you like it is, and either you like it or you don't. That being said we are not writing this to make you mad, but to make you think. Most people will never accomplish what they want to accomplish this year because they do not put their plan into action. Having a vision, goals, and a plan on how to achieve these things is important and the first step, but without action it is 100% useless. We believe in writing down goals, visions, plans, and thinking positive, and at CCG we do all these things. But positive thinking alone won't change anything. If you want to get in shape, just having a positive attitude for thirty days won't do it! You have to have a great attitude along with taking action, such as going to the gym, eating healthy, exercising, and doing the things that you probably don't want to always do. You could have the best workout plan, but without actually getting on the machine, lifting weights, doing push ups and set ups, or running the workout plan is 100% useless. Get the point? Now we all have heard or read the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. If you want things to be different you have to change what you do! Simple, period, that is the way that it is! It reminds us of a story we once heard about a bear in a cage. The zoo put this bear in a cage that was ten feet long. They put the bear at one end, and put the food at the other end. Everyday the bear would walk ten feet and eat, then go back over and lay down. Walk ten feet and eat, then go back over and lay down, he did this for ten years in the zoo. Everybody would watch him. They removed the cage one day, ten feet forward the bear would go over and eat, and then go back without bars....ten feet forward the bear would go over and eat, and then go back without bars. Now here is what's scary, they moved the food fifteen feet away from the bear, and the bear went ten feet and stopped! So many people in life get comfortable with what they have, they are ten feet forward and ten feet back. They get up and do the same things over and over, and over again expecting different results. Then when the game of life is over, a lot of them look over their shoulder and say, "what happened?"Now the beautiful thing about living in a free society is that you don't have to change if you don't want to. At CCG we believe that most people are living a life of what is called "quiet desperation." That is where they have enough that it is not worth doing anything about it, but they always ask the question: "Isn't there more to life than this?"So if you are sick and tired of being sick and tired of being sick and tired with some area(s) in your life, then we suggest you change your actions, which will in-turn change your results!What can you do today, that will help you accomplish whatever it is you want to accomplish this year? Maybe you need to change careers, maybe you need to save some money, maybe you need to move a relationship forward (or get out of one). Whatever it is we suggest you do it, and you do it TODAY! Like the Nike slogan: "Just Do It"

Action Is The Key To Making Things Happen

2009-06-12T06:13:00.000-07:00

Hopefully by now you have thought about and written down all the things you want to accomplish in 2009 both personally and professionally, and you are moving in the right direction halfway through this year! This is where we have to make it clear that we are not a “motivational speaking” company, The Chad Carden Group is a consulting organization that believes in getting results, and to do that we have to be realist! We tell you like it is, and either you like it or you don’t. That being said we are not writing this to make you mad, but to make you think. Most people will never accomplish what they want to accomplish this year because they do not put their plan into action. Having a vision, goals, and a plan on how to achieve these things is important and the first step, but without action it is 100% useless. We believe in writing down goals, visions, plans, and thinking positive, and at CCG we do all these things. But positive thinking alone won’t change anything. If you want to get in shape, just having a positive attitude for thirty days won’t do it! You have to have a great attitude along with taking action, such as going to the gym, eating healthy, exercising, and doing the things that you probably don’t want to always do. You could have the best workout plan, but without actually getting on the machine, lifting weights, doing push ups and set ups, or running the workout plan is 100% useless. Get the point?

Now we all have heard or read the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. If you want things to be different you have to change what you do! Simple, period, that is the way that it is! It reminds us of a story we once heard about a bear in a cage. The zoo put this bear in a cage that was ten feet long. They put the bear at one end, and put the food at the other end. Everyday the bear would walk ten feet and eat, then go back over and lay down. Walk ten feet and eat, then go back over and lay down, he did this for ten years in the zoo. Everybody would watch him. They removed the cage one day, ten feet forward the bear would go over and eat, and then go back without bars….ten feet forward the bear would go over and eat, and then go back without bars. Now here is what’s scary, they moved the food fifteen feet away from the bear, and the bear went ten feet and stopped! So many people in life get comfortable with what they have, they are ten feet forward and ten feet back. They get up and do the same things over and over, and over again expecting different results. Then when the game of life is over, a lot of them look over their shoulder and say, “what happened?”

Now the beautiful thing about living in a free society is that you don’t have to change if you don’t want to. At CCG we believe that most people are living a life of what is called “quiet desperation.” That is where they have enough that it is not worth doing anything about it, but they always ask the question: “Isn’t there more to life than this?”

So if you are sick and tired of being sick and tired of being sick and tired with some area(s) in your life, then we suggest you change your actions, which will in-turn change your results!

What can you do today, that will help you accomplish whatever it is you want to accomplish this year? Maybe you need to change careers, maybe you need to save some money, maybe you need to move a relationship forward (or get out of one). Whatever it is we suggest you do it, and you do it TODAY! Like the Nike slogan: “Just Do It”

The Next 100 Days!

2009-05-04T13:04:00.000-07:00

Last week all I read and heard about was "The President's First 100 Days In Office". As I was listening to everything that happened over the first 100 days, I came to this conclusion. A lot can be accomplished in 100 days. Maybe not the completion of an entire project, but action can be taken to move in the right direction.

Not I am not going to debate about the President's first 100 days, but what I am going to do is challenge you for the next 100 days! There is still a lot of uncertainty in today's World, and the future of this great nation is still very "fuzzy", but I was once told to clearly focus on the task ahead of you. We can't change what is happening with the auto industry, we can't force the stock market to gain 1000 more points (it would be nice if we could, and maybe some reading this can?) but what we can do is focus on our lives, personally and professionally for the next 100 days and be the best we can for that period of time.

I am not asking you to change for the rest of your life, I am only asking that for the next 100 days you focus on doing things that will make you, your family, your friends, your community and your organizations better off than today! That is the challenge!

Let's Continue To Talk About Success!

We Need Your Help!

2009-04-02T07:24:00.001-07:00

The Chad Carden Group is giving back and we need your help! Our President, Chad Carden, has been moved to help others, and is currently working on one very big charity project (We hope to share more details in the weeks to come....stay tuned).

So why are we asking for your help? Because we can't do this alone. There is no better time than NOW, to do something extraordinary! Everyone reading this can do, at a minimum, one thing to give back. It doesn't have to be money, it can be time, or sending a thank you, or giving someone who has helped you a referral. Giving back doesn't always mean charity (although giving to the right charity or charities is always a worthy cause). You might give back to someone in your family, a business colleague, or someone you are doing business with currently.

The point is, with all the negative "stuff" floating around us today, Chad wants everyone to think about all the fantastic things we have to be thankful for, and give back to someone in need. Chad has challenged you before, and is challenging you again!

Email us at info@chadcarden.com and let us know what you are doing to give back! We will post your emails on our site to display all the great things that you are doing out there to show people that everything is not negative, despite what most of the media is reporting.

We hope that April brings many great things to you, your families, and your businesses!

Let's Continue To Talk About Success!
The Chad Carden Group

Check Out Our Experts!

2009-03-20T09:18:00.000-07:00

The Chad Carden Group has expanded it's expertise by bringing more and more experts on board, and will continue to work with others so we can find the best talent out there as we help you succeed! We have the expertise to help improve the performance of your staff (sales, customer service, leadership, presentation skills, etc...), hire the right people, put together a vision for your organization or business to get REAL RESULTS, or help with a complete reorganization of a division or entire company, all the way to helping individuals improve their professional and/or personal life!

We continue to work with top brands across the globe, and have shown all of our clients a TRUE return on their investment! All of our clients see us as a true business partner that can get them a true return. We are not seen as a "sunk cost". We are at the point in our practice, that "no business is better, than bad business". We will not just take a paycheck for a project, but only get involved if we know we can show true results, and a real ROI (please see our guarantee)! We have the confidence to actually say no, and in the past we have fired our clients, due to lack of true commitment to change! Visit our experts to find out how we can help you today!

If you know anyone who is interested in our services, please contact us and we will be happy to help out!

Let's Continue To Talk About Success!
Chad

Please Enjoy The New Site!

2009-03-18T06:04:00.001-07:00

These are exciting times for The Chad Carden Group! We have expanded our offerings, and continue to help more companies and people succeed in life and in business. Please explore our new site as well as all the different ways we can help you set yourself up for success!

If you have any questions or comments please let us know, and we will be happy to get back with you as soon as possible! Also we want to hear from you! What can we do to help you make sure everything you are doing in these times, is moving you forward? To many people right now are caught in the "rocking chair" mode! We are busy, and like a rocking chair always moving, but sometimes we forget to be productive! Rocking chairs never move forward.....We MUST make sure our actions are always moving us forward in the direction that will help us reach our goals in all areas of our life!

Let's Continue To Talk About Success!
The Chad Carden Group!

Vision To Reality....

2009-03-15T12:10:00.000-07:00

The "vision" for our new business launch is becoming a reality! The site is being updated (Probably another 3-5 days before we have it complete......Thanks for your patience)

We are exciting about helping more and more companies and individuals succeed! In 2009 we continue to move forward, and reach our true mission! We will officially announce the launch in the days to come! Stay tuned!

Lets Continue To Talk About Success!
The Chad Carden Group

New Site: Work In Progress

2009-03-13T17:18:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend we will continue to make changes to the new site! Thanks for your patience!!

The Chad Carden Group

Friday March 13th......

2009-03-12T17:27:00.001-07:00

Friday is the day we are beginning to actually make all the changes and updates to the site, so the site might not be working properly all day, so we can go live with the new site!

Thanks for your patience and we will make sure everyone is aware when the new look is up and properly working!

Thanks,
CCG

Site Changes.....

2009-03-08T15:21:00.000-07:00

We will be making changes to our site over the next week and we appreciate your patient. We are growing as a business and need to update all of our capabilities as we strive to help everyone set themselves up for success in both their professional and personal lives.

We are exciting about these changes and know you will be too!

Stay tuned!

WOW.......!

2009-03-02T07:38:00.000-08:00

All I can say at this time is WOW! It seems as if every corner we turn, things are gloom and doom. I just added more business this morning, and for the past two weeks I have been on the road with companies that are investing in their people.

You must make your clients see you as an investment in their business not just a cost, or worse yet, a sunk cost. How do you do that? You must quit telling all the features of your products and services and start selling the benefits. I know you have heard this 1000 times, but this time take it to heart. With the economy the way that it is you must differentiate yourself from everyone else!

Features are the "facts" about your product or service, and the benefits help answer the two questions, "what's in it for me?" and "so what?" Also if you start throwing in a "bridging statement" it will help your prospects/clients to understand how it will help them.

Feature-Bridge-Benefit

Example Bridges:
"What that means for YOU is"
"This will be great for YOU because"
"YOU will love this because"
"The impact for YOU will be"

The bridge comes between the feature (fact) and the benefit (answers the question everyone is asking "what's in it for me?")

Quit telling people about the "facts" or "features" of your product or service, and start selling the "benefits" answering the "so what" question, and watch your prospects and clients see you in a different way!

Also, quit listening to all the gloom and doom, and find all the great opportunities that exist right now!

Good Luck!

P.E.P.P.

2009-02-23T09:08:00.001-08:00

I am working on my next book P.E.P.P.

Preparation
Execution
Persistence
Patience

Anything we do in life these four key elements play a very important role. We must prepare before we go into battle. We must execute our plan, or our plan is worthless. Action is required along with having a positive outlook that good things will happen. We must persist! We must not let little obstacles stand in our way. Finally we must have patience! Things take time to work. We live in a world of instant gratification, where people want things and they want them now. People want to become Tiger Woods, yet they are not willing to go through what he goes through to be the best. These examples can go on forever. We must be willing to have patience as we prepare, execute, and persist!

Have a great week!

This Week.....

2009-02-16T06:36:00.001-08:00

This week is a very important week for all of us! This week we have the opportunity to make changes in our life that can impact our future. I am challenging you this week! Take ten minutes after reading this, sit down, and write down 2 or 3 commitments you can do this week that will help you improve your life. To many of us get caught up in "life" or the "rocking chair". A rocking chair creates a lot of motion but never moves FORWARD! We get caught up in being "busy" versus being "productive"! I wrote "Winning The Money Game" with Adam Carroll and last week when talking to him he helped me distinguish between busy and productive. I can be "busy" 24 hours a day 168 hours a week, and not be productive (Moving forward towards success).

So let's not try to completely change our lives this week (This is a process not an event, and it will take more than one week). This week let's take the first step, by doing a few things that are truly productive and will move our life in the right direction. Continue to ask yourself this week, "Is what I am doing right now, being busy or being productive?" and see what impact you can have!

Good luck!

We are making a lot of changes right now and are always excited to hear from you! Let us know how things are going, or what else you would like to see!

THINK BIG!!

2009-02-16T06:22:00.000-08:00

This week, I want you to think about, and write down, all the things you want to accomplish in the next 18 months, both personally and professionally. The great thing about success is that everyone defines it a little differently. One thing that I am sure of is that my definition of success won’t motivate you to do anything, and vice-versa your definition will probably not motivate me. We all have to come up with our own definition. When I say think about and write it down, what I mean is get specific. To say, “I want to make more money” isn’t good enough. Write down “why” you want to make more money. Some people want more money to save it, others to spend it. Some want to be able to give it to their children, families, or charities, and yet others think it will make them more important. Having a vision of what you want to accomplish is more than just money. There are many different areas to think about. Family, career, your finances, your health, your relationships with your friends, your social life, etc….the list can go on an on, but the key here is to let your imagination run. Don’t get caught in your box.

I have to believe that all of us sometimes don’t think big enough. I think big, and that has allowed me things in life that others might not have the chance to experience, yet I was very humbled after I read a story on about Steve Wynn. Steve Wynn built the first “Mega” Casino in Las Vegas Nevada (The Mirage, which is now owned by MGM). When Steve built it he had a construction loan, and his goal was to pay off the loan in seven years. When he went to his accountants and all of his financial team, he asked them what it was going to take to pay off the loan in his seven year time frame. After they did the math they told him that he would have to profit $1 million dollars a day, 365 days a year, for the next seven years. If that happened he would be free of his loan in seven years. $1 million dollars a day profit, after he paid all his staff, and all his bills he would need to have $1 million dollars left each day, every day for the next seven years. Wow! To me that seemed impossible, but to Steve it wasn’t. Steve set his vision, to pay the loan off in seven years, and then he shared with everyone on his team. They put a game plan together, and began to execute. Well Mr. Wynn didn’t pay off his loan in seven years; he did it in 18 MONTHS!!!! A year and a half is all it took for him to pay it off, which means he probably profited 4,5,6,7,8 millions dollars a day, every day!! The best part about it is that after 18 months, all that profit went to him!

Now I am not saying that all of us are going to profit $1 million dollars a day, but I would say that the story is a good reminder for all of us to think bigger than what we do. As Steve said, “Doubts don’t build empires…..Imagination does.” So let your imagination run as you set your vision and goals. Stretch you mind, spirit, and body and you just might be amazed at the results.

Sarah and I have been blessed at a very early age in life, but we are making a mission for the next 18 months to “stretch” our thinking, and we encourage you to do the same!

Our Biggest Asset....

2009-02-09T06:34:00.000-08:00

There is so much "noise" going on right now with the economy, job losses, a new "stimulus" package, tax cuts,retirement accounts moving in the wrong direction (including mine!), housing troubles, etc......

Wow! If we get caught up in all the "noise", it would be very easy to become depressed and have a completely negative outlook on life as a whole. So what we MUST do is shrink our "universe" down to our biggest asset which is us! You are your biggest asset to make changes in your life, to help resolve issues you are going through, to find a job, to make money, to build a better relationship with a loved one, and the list can go on and on. Plus you can't control the stock market, the government, what happens to your home price, the price of oil, etc....but you can and must control you! Too many people rely on others (where they work, their families, their church, the government) to support them, or to tell them what to do next. This type of thinking shrinks one's own ability for "free thinking". If we allow others to think for us and make decisions for us we are not growing our biggest asset, we are actually shrinking that asset, and making it a liability!

What are you doing today to grow your biggest asset? There are three uses of your time. You can invest your time, spend your time, or waste your time. When you invest your time you are growing your biggest asset. Focus on ways to invest your time! How? You can:

Read a book
Spend quality time with a loved one
Find your true calling in life and begin the proper steps to find a new career or job
Work on your resume
Network to find other avenues of business
Go to the gym and get a workout in
Pick up the phone and make that call you have been wanting to make
Take some quiet time to gather your thoughts
Take the first step in making a situation better

The list could go on and on as well, but by investing your time you are growing your biggest asset....YOU!

Take time this week to do at least three things that will truly help you grow your biggest asset!

Good Luck!

Short Term Setbacks....

2009-02-02T06:55:00.000-08:00

In today's economy, it is easy to let short term setbacks in life look a lot bigger than they really are. I understand setbacks, we have had our fair share lately. That being said, all of us must keep our eyes on our longer term goals. If you are going through a tough time right now, in any area of your life, it is so easy to get caught up worrying about it 24 hours day. Also, if all you think about is your short term setback you are not focusing your energy where it should be, which is finding a solution, solving the issues and getting back on track.

You must deal with your setbacks, and we all have them, but letting them steal your confidence, and plan for the long-term is not the answer. Setbacks in life do not mean that you are not moving forward. Life is a game of peaks and valleys, and we must have the ability to handle both sides of the coin.

How to handle short term setbacks:

1. Focus on the solution and take the first step
2. Set a realistic time frame of when the issue can be resolved (1 day/1 month/1 year?)
3. Take action and don't look back
4. Remind yourself of your longer term goals (3-5 years)
5. And finally, remember that these setbacks don't make you a bad person, you are the same person you were, when you were enjoying a "peak" in life!

Have a great week!

Action

2009-01-26T06:47:00.001-08:00

With anything we do in life ACTION is required to move forward. We can have the best plan in the world, set realistic goals, and put everything on paper, but without ACTION all of it is useless.

I believe a lot of people get caught up in the "rocking chair" syndrome. That is where they are busy, but not doing the things that move them forward. A rocking chair moves but never forward.

Here is the challenge this week. Ask yourself, "What ACTION can I take that will move me forward?" Even if you only move an inch, that is better than standing still. Also ask yourself, "What ACTION do I need to get rid of, so I can move forward?"

Get out of your "rocking chair" syndrome and start moving in the right direction of your dreams and goals.

Good Luck!

Creating Change......

2009-01-19T07:23:00.001-08:00

We are already creating change in 2009. We have received feedback that many are benefiting from this blog, and we have already worked with over ten organizations this year!

I believe that each of us has the ability to create change in our own lives. Personally and professionally we make choices everyday that impact us either in a positive or negative way. Creating change in a positive way is choice that we must make daily.

I was having dinner with a friend last Friday, when he said that he has made a decision to quit being negative. He mentioned to me that "he was sick of hearing himself talk" because everything coming out of his mouth was negative. He called it a "disease". Using his theory that being negative is a "disease", here is the question: Are you infected?

I challenge you to make an effort to pay close attention to what you are saying daily for the next 3 days. What words are coming out of your mouth and more importantly how are you saying those words? What thoughts are running through your head? How do you deal with issues that come up in your day that are unexpected? How are your words impacting others around you?

If you choose to participate, and find that you have this "disease" let me know what you are doing to cure it, and how that is impacting you!

Good Luck!

Getting Real Results

2009-01-12T17:27:00.000-08:00

Someone once told me, “If you run down hill long enough, you begin to think you are an athlete.” When the economy was booming there were a lot of people who over exaggerated their skills, abilities, money situation, etc… Steve Wynn who owns a casino empire said, “Any jackass can deal with the boom time.” Well now the economy has changed and things can be tough right now. The Chad Carden Group is going to help more people and companies this year than last year. Many companies, schools and people are looking inward and making changes. The Chad Carden Group can and will help you GET REAL RESULTS. We live by two words Obedience and Excellence, and hold you to the same standard. Contact us for further information and success stories.

We are making bold moves to improve the lives of thousands of people. To do that it takes a paradigm shift, and different ways of thinking than the normal way we think about all areas of life. We must challenge the status quo, and quit conforming to what society says we should do. We will customize everything to fit Fortune 100 Companies all the way down to an individual that wants REAL RESULTS. Casting a wide net is our new mission. We want to help anyone that wants to help themselves, their companies and or their workforce.

Bold Moves in 2009 For The Chad Carden Group

2009-01-07T08:30:00.000-08:00

2008 was a great year for The Chad Carden Group. We were up 51% over 2007 and went international with our book "Winning The Money Game."

That being said we also had some unexpected expenses that ate into some of our profits. Still our best year ever despite the challenging economics times. I think that these economic times are only a mindset. People tell us all the time that we can't do something so we just tell ourselves we can, and prove them wrong. In 2009 The Chad Carden Group will change the way consulting is done in lives and companies across the globe. We are making big changes to our site www.chadcarden.com and will profile all the experts that work with us on our many different projects. We have impacted the lives literally, of hundreds of thousands of people and it is time to raise the bar. We will focus on helping companies of all sizes, schools, as well as individuals that want to get REAL Results. We will make some very bold moves this year, and are excited to share them with you.

Please check back on this blog as well as www.chadcarden.com to see all the changes that are taking place. We have expanded our offerings and have one mission moving forward and that is to change the way people look at life. We will help people change mindset, and have a complete paradigm shift in both their personal and professional lives.

If you have any suggestions, questions, comments, or concerns please let us know!

Best of luck to you in 2009, and we look forward to hearing from you!

Be Back In 2009!

2008-12-22T00:42:00.000-08:00

This week, and for the rest of 2008, Chad is spending time with his family, but wanted me (his associate) to write a quick post. He wanted me to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a wonderful New Year.

He will be back in 2009 to continue with his journey of helping people set themselves up for success in all areas of their life!

Best of luck in 2009!

Are Times Tough?

2008-12-15T10:09:00.001-08:00

Our news outlets today paint a very nasty economy right now and finally "experts" are saying that we are in a recession. If we listen to all of this, we can gather that for a lot of people out there times are very tough. Now I agree that times are tough for a lot of people, yet I still see people going to the movies, eating out, going to sporting events, buying things that are not considered "needs", and spending money on things that might be considered a luxury in other parts of the World. One athlete just received over $100 million dollar contract to pitch in Major League Baseball. Others around the World would literally die, to be in our situation. Yes, times are tough, and America is going through a "rough patch", yet most are still not willing to change their lifestyle. I think some people are "forced" to change, by a loss of a job, etc....but most Americans are not "willing" to change. So if you are complaining right now about your situation, either change the way you do things or quit whining! Sometimes all of us need to look in the mirror and find the true cause of our issues! Happy Holidays!

Being Helpful....

2008-12-08T05:35:00.001-08:00

I was on a flight last night from Chicago to Newark and had a very interesting experience. I am amazed these days on the tension we have in the public. People are worried about their jobs, money, what to get family for the holidays, what our is economy going to do in 2009, etc... Most people are taking it out on everyone around them. The flight was, like most flights these days, a full flight. The boarding agent was trying to board people as quickly as possible so they flight could leave on time, and the flight attendants were doing their part inside the plane to help people find their seats. I was one of the first people on the plane and had a ringside seat to show. With about 10 minutes left before departure, the overhead bins were full and customers had to start taking their bags off the plane to check them for baggage claim. The flight attendant and the gate agent began to fight about customers having coats in the overhead space. The gate agent began to throw customers coats from the overhead space onto the floor aisle of the plane, not even asking which coat belongs to which customer. It was such a bad customer experience now customers began to argue. Next thing I knew there were 10-15 people screaming at each other with no solution in sight. About that time a flight attendant from the back of the plane made her way forward not saying a word, just picking up coats and finding which coat belong to which customer. In about 5 minutes she had the situation under control and had managed to calm down everyone that was involved in the screaming match just minutes earlier. I realized that the only thing she did different was to be helpful and look for solutions instead of being part of the problem.

Too many times we don't look for solutions, because it is much easier to be part to the problem these days, and we can always seem to justify our actions. Next time you are in a challenging situation, make it a point to find solutions and be helpful. You will be amazed how much more progress you can make just by being helpful!

The Season To Give!

2008-12-04T12:12:00.001-08:00

The holiday season for 2008 is here! Most of us are looking forward to the holidays which is a time to be with family and friends. For some it is a time for some well deserved R&R after a busy year, and for others it is a time to give.

I challenged everyone to "give" this holiday season. Define the word "give" however you like, but here are a few ways to give this year:

1. You can give money to local charities and churches
2. You can give your time to help with families in need
3. You can give back to family and friends that have been there for you
4. You can give your spouse a break and do something out of the ordinary that they will like
5. You can give someone a card saying thanks
6. You can give someone a call and let them know how special they are
7. You can give more love to a child
8. You can give back to your community by helping with a project to make the community better
9. You can give yourself a break by relaxing and enjoying life as it is
10. You can give your employees extra time off and surprise them this year

I can go on and on, but however you define the word, this holiday season.....Give!

Happy Holidays!

Short and Sweet!

2008-11-24T07:19:00.000-08:00

Below are a few quotes that have meant a lot to me over the years and I thought I would share them with you! Thanks for reading!

Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, everyday, something no one else is thinking. Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do. It is bad for the mind to be always part of unanimity. Christopher Morley
(1890-1957, American Novelist, Journalist, Poet)

Most of us are pretty good at keeping promises to others and pretty bad at keeping promises to ourselves. Lawrence LeShan

Often people attempt to live their lives backwards: they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want so they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are, then, do what you need to do, in order to have what you want. Margaret Young(American Author)

I've believed ever since that living on the edge, living in and through your fear, is the summit of life, and that people who refuse to take that dare condemn themselves to a life of living death. John H. Johnson(American Businessman, Founder of Johnson Publishing)

Other people's opinion of you does not have to become your reality. Les Brown(1945-, American Speaker, Author, Trainer, Motivator Lecturer)

A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses these skills to accomplish his goals. Larry Bird
(American Basketball Player, Coach)

Hope these quotes might spark something in you today to do something that will move you in the right direction! Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

Think Positive!

2008-11-17T06:51:00.000-08:00

Dale Carnegie has nine human relation's points he writes about in his book "How To Win Friends, And Influence People" and the very first one is "don't criticize, condemn, or complain". That is all I see today everywhere I look, is people criticizing, condemning, and complaining about everything they come in contact with! Now, I know we can't be "positive" 100% of the time, and to suggest that is absurd. That being said, I think we are way to "negative" as a society. Just stop and listen to everything going on around you. At work, home, social settings, etc.....I will bet 10-1 (I love to bet when the odds are in my favor) that what you hear will be 90% negative.

So here is what I am challenging you to do for just one day! Today, make a point to NOT criticize, condemn, or complain. Just for 24 hours see if you can accomplish this. I tried this the other day, and I was amazed that my mind tends to go negative more than what I thought. I am making efforts daily to be positive and suggest you do the same. I am finding the results to be incredible and you will too! Good Luck!

THINK BIG!!

2008-11-10T15:51:00.000-08:00

to kick this blog off, I want you to think about, and write down, all the things you want to accomplish in the next 12 months, both personally and professionally. The great thing about success is that everyone defines it a little differently. One thing that I am sure of is that my definition of success won’t motivate you to do anything, and vice-versa your definition will probably not motivate me. We all have to come up with our own definition. When I say think about and write it down, what I mean is get specific. To say, “I want to make more money” isn’t good enough. Write down “why” you want to make more money. Some people want more money to save it, others to spend it. Some want to be able to give it to their children, families, or charities, and yet others think it will make them more important. Having a vision of what you want to accomplish is more than just money. There are many different areas to think about. Family, career, your finances, your health, your relationships with your friends, your social life, etc….the list can go on an on, but the key here is to let your imagination run. Don’t get caught in your box.

I have to believe that all of us sometimes don’t think big enough. I think big, and that has allowed me things in life that others might not have the chance to experience, yet I was very humbled after I read a story on about Steve Wynn. Steve Wynn built the first “Mega” Casino in Las Vegas Nevada (The Mirage, which is now owned by MGM). When Steve built it he had a construction loan, and his goal was to pay off the loan in seven years. When he went to his accountants and all of his financial team, he asked them what it was going to take to pay off the loan in his seven year time frame. After they did the math they told him that he would have to profit $1 million dollars a day, 365 days a year, for the next seven years. If that happened he would be free of his loan in seven years. $1 million dollars a day profit, after he paid all his staff, and all his bills he would need to have $1 million dollars left each day, every day for the next seven years. Wow! To me that seemed impossible, but to Steve it wasn’t. Steve set his vision, to pay the loan off in seven years, and then he shared with everyone on his team. They put a game plan together, and began to execute. Well Mr. Wynn didn’t pay off his loan in seven years; he did it in 18 MONTHS!!!! A year and a half is all it took for him to pay it off, which means he probably profited 4,5,6,7,8 millions dollars a day, every day!! The best part about it is that after 18 months, all that profit went to him! Now I am not saying that all of us are going to profit $1 million dollars a day, but I would say that the story is a good reminder for all of us to think bigger than what we do. As Steve said, “Doubts don’t build empires…..Imagination does.”

So let your imagination run as you set your vision and goals. Stretch you mind, spirit, and body and you just might be amazed at the results.

Sarah and I have been blessed at a very early age in life, but we are making a mission for the next 12 months to “stretch” our thinking, and we encourage you to do the same!

A Great Day In America!

2008-11-04T10:13:00.000-08:00

Today is one example of what makes America the greatest county on Earth! We have the right to decide and vote in who we want to be our next President. We don't all agree, and that is ok, but in the end we are all AMERICANS! Democrats, Republicans, and Independents can be proud of the fact that our voices are heard!

I truly believe that whoever does get elected (And yes I did vote) this time will be held to a higher standard by the American people. More people are paying attention, and that is a good thing. Our Government as a whole needs to be held more accountable for their actions, and their "promises" that they make to the public.

I know I will be doing my part, and encourage everyone to do the same! May we all be blessed, and count our blessings in this great country we live in!

Become Your Own Architect!

2008-10-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

You must take control of your life in all aspects and begin now. There are five different areas that must be controlled and your "local" level. Spiritual, Physical, Financial, Mental, and Emotional. These areas must be controlled by you. You should be the architect of your life, not the economy, the federal government, who wins the election, what is happening with your 401K, or what is going on with the value of your house at the present time. Why you may ask? Well because all those things I listed are out of our control. We must work hard to control our own life, and how we are doing is completely sustained by what we are doing.

How do we do that? Watch where your $$ is going, make sure you love what you are doing, take care of your family by loving them, be thankful for all the great things in your life and don't get frustrated by short term obstacles. A good friend of mine in New Orleans always says, "tough times don't last, tough people do!" We all go through our own "roller coasters" in life, and yes what is happening with our economy does have an impact on each of us.

That being said, we must remain focused on what we can control? Can you spend less today? Can you save a little more money? Can you tell someone you care about that you love them and how much they mean to you? Can you read something that will enhance your mind? Can you do something today that will make your situation better?

Remember, today is the only day you have. Yesterday is gone, and tomorrow is not here yet. Make the most of today by focusing on what is right, not what is wrong!

Feedback From You!

2008-10-21T03:49:00.000-07:00

This week is "feedback week" Please submit your challenges (personally or professionally) and every week I will answer your questions. You will remain anonymous and everything is 100% confidentially. Think about it, if you are dealing with an issue, then I am sure others reading this are dealing with the same issues. Your responses will also be great for you because this blog will be customized to my readers, and have more meaning when you read it every week!

You can post a reply or email me: ccarden@chadcarden.com

I look forward to hearing from you!

Turning Vision into Reality

2008-10-14T04:40:00.000-07:00

The Model:
Destination/Vision
Values
Results/Goals
Habits
Activities

The problem with the model is that most people work it backwards (bottom to top). Think about it! Most people get up every morning and have activities they have to do. Do most people do the activities that are hard and necessary or easy and convenient? Most will op for the easy route. Most people agree that their health is critical, but are not willing to get up and exercise in the morning, because it is easier to hit the snooze, and as they race to work grab a cup of coffee and 3 Krispy Kremes. There are a hundred examples but you get the point!

Now after you do activities over and over and over again, you will develop habits. Some habits good and some habits bad. If you get up and exercise it becomes a habit, and if you hit the snooze, it is easy for that to become habit as well. From these habits people develop in life, they create a Comfort Zone (CZ) , and for most people that comfort zone will control their life. They will only do what is comfortable to them and rarely get out of their CZ. When they do jump out of their CZ most of the time it is too uncomfortable so what do they do? They usually jump right back in. Most people will do what is comfortable over what is necessary to be successful, however you define success!

From the habits we develop in life we will get some type of results. Like habits, some results are good, and some results are bad. If we are in the habit of exercising that will produce results, if we are in the habit of eating 3 Krispy Kremes on the way to work every morning that will produce some type of results as well. Get the picture? Once again this can pertain to any part of our life, personally, professionally, spiritual, physical, financial, mental, or emotional. If we develop bad habits we will probably get bad results, and the opposite is true for the positive too!

The results we get in life sometimes have an affect on our values. Sometimes because we get into bad habits that produce bad results we change our values to justify to ourselves that what we are doing is OK. For example you might overtime come the conclusion that “Everyone has to die of something” so exercise and health might not be as important as it once was, or you might find that because you have develop bad results with your finances that are those “things” you wanted in life are really necessary for you to have. Still with me?

All of us will end up at a destination in life, and for most people that destination is “somewhere else”, somewhere where they did not plan to be when they set off in this journey in life. The number one reason is due to poor planning. Most people don’t truly plan where they want to go in life, or how they are going to get their. It is a proven fact that 95% of this country spends more time planning their annual vacation than they do their financial future. They just jumped on the river of life and wherever it took them they went.

…….Now what successful people do, and I know that everyone defines success differently! My definition of success is not going to motivate you to do anything, likewise your definition is not going to motivate me to do anything. And you have to define success for every part of your life. Your career, your marriage, your finances, your health, etc……The whole key is that it has to be your definition, not anyone else’s!! (Now if it is something that involves another person, like marriage, you might want to define it together….Just a thought!!). Back to my thought……..what successful people do is they take the model and work it from the top down!! Let’s take a look and what that looks like.

They first start off with a vision of what they want to accomplish. For a business that vision might include: (18-24 months out)
-How much money is coming in per month?
-How many units or products are being sold on a monthly basis?
-How many hours the principal is working?
-How many people are on staff, how are they paid?
-How much money is the principal putting back into the business?
-What are the working conditions? Home, office, etc………
-What key markets is the niche?
-What type, if any, community involvement does the company have?
-What other businesses, if any, are partnered with to make a greater impact?
There can be more questions, but once you have this on paper and it is crystal clear what you want to accomplish, it makes it 100 times easier to reach it. A Harvard study found that only 3% of the population has their goals written down on paper. There is something magical about writing things down. I can’t explain, it just seems that once you have it down on paper it becomes so much more real and you become that much more committed to accomplish it!

After you have your vision clearly defined then everything else revolves around it. What values do you need to possess in order to reach your vision? Some Business Values might include:
-World Class Client Experience (Accept Nothing Less)
-Return all phones calls ASAP
-Honesty at all times even when not popular
-Never displace blame and always look for news solutions to solve problems that
Come up
-Accept responsibility and turn all negative situations into positive situations
-Keep in mind whom the client cares about most. When you show interest in
Them they will in-turn show interest in you.
-Always remember that if you help the client get what they want you will get
What you want. 100% focus on the clients situation not yours.
There are many others but this is just a starting block to get you thinking about all the values you want your biz to possess.
What successful people do differently is instead of just getting results in life, they create goals that will get the results they want in order to reach their vision. Daily, weekly, monthly goals that are written down, held accountable to and revised constantly…..If I want to get from downstairs to upstairs and that is my vision, I am not going to get there in the one step. I need goals or stairs along the way to help me ultimately reach my vision (upstairs) Goals keep you focus on the long term vision. When you have goals and the long term vision it keeps you from being frustrated in short term roadblocks.

Now this is where the rubber meets the road. Everything you put together, the vision, the values and the goals are worthless unless you take action!! Now you have to think about what daily, weekly, monthly activities to I need to make a habit in order to reach my vision. This is where you look at what habits do you need to build to be successful and what habits do I need to break to be successful. Getting out of your CZ is required when taking this action. Because if you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten, and the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results….. Now here is what most people don’t understand…..if you do things you need to do to be successful, they might be uncomfortable at first, but after you do them over and over and over and over and over again, they will in-turn become comfortable and you will automatically stretch your comfort zone!

After you define the activities and habits you need to build/break now you have to work your plan. It becomes a lot easier to get up daily and do what is needed. Some people might think you are crazy, but that is ok, but they don’t see your vision. What begins to happen in life is you now don’t have to question why you are doing what you are doing daily, weekly, monthly because you have created a path for your life on purpose not on accident!! It’s like a dog that chases cats around the neighborhood. What if nobody else but the dog could see those cats? And the only thing that we saw was the dog chasing nothing? We would think the dog is crazy, but the dog knows why they are running around like mad…..to ultimately catch the cats!! Make Sense?

Keep this mind: Successful people do the things that unsuccessful people are not willing to do!

That does not say they enjoy them, it says they do them because it will ultimately help them reach their vision.

Good Luck!!

Take Action...NOW!

2008-10-06T07:52:00.000-07:00

Have you ever procrastinated? I know that I have. Do you have an idea for a business? Do you want to do something for your sweetheart? Your family? Yourself? I think everyone reading this right now has an idea that can make their life or the life of others better either spiritually, physically, financially, mentally, or emotionally, and now the key is to take action!

Sarah and I are in the middle of making a lot of decisions both personally and professionally and the key is action. My parents once told me that when you have an idea, DO SOMETHING to make it come true. You might do something wrong, you might have to start over, but action creates progress. Either you gain momentum from your actions or you learn from them on what to do and what not to do. Momentum is key to watching an idea come to fruition. I am learning along the way, but everyday I am gaining momentum which creates excitement and more importantly results.

If you want to start a business, go back to school, make a relationship stronger, I say start NOW! Some might say, “but it will take “years” before I see results” my answer is this, “yes it might, however where will you be in “years” if you don’t act?” One thing is for certain is that time will not stop. So in 2-5 years from now will your life be different? Or will it be the same and you keep looking back saying those famous words, “I wish I would have.”?

Also many times people won’t take action for two major reasons FOF, and FOP. FOF is the fear of failure and FOP is the fear of people. Why are we continuing to conform to a society that gives us a 90% chance of being dead or broke at the age of 65? I am not trying to scare you or make you mad, I am just trying to make you think! You don’t have to take it from me, if you will follow 100 people at the age of 65 you will find that 25% of them will be dead. Of the people that live to be 65 here is the rough breakdown:
-40% have to rely on relatives to survive
-30% will rely on welfare and social security to make it
-20% will still be working
I am sure that not one of the 90% said I can’t wait to turn 65 so I can end up in one of these buckets. Why then do so many end up this way? Real simple they didn’t take action and they conformed to a society that says, “don’t take risks, you can’t do it, just get a good job and try to save a little money for retirement.” Here is what I say, “Life is too short, take action and take it NOW!”

If you are thinking about a new or different career, or thinking about a career change at all, I suggest http://www.findyourcareermatch.com/ This will be the best investment you can make in your career!

Be Thankful.....

2008-09-30T08:32:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of distractions going on in life today. We are in the middle of a Presidential election, the financial crisis (who knows what is going to happen???), oil/gas prices, food costs increasing, mortgage rates and home values, and job loss. One can get consumed with the entire negative “buzz” happening around them at this moment in time.

I prefer, and challenge you, to look at everything that is going right in your life, and be thankful for everything you have. My wife and I were in a car accident last Saturday (everyone is Ok, thank God!) and it made me realize all the great things I have going on in my life. Sometimes it takes an accident or a tragedy in life before we “reflect” back on everything we have to be thankful for. I am not going to bore you with my list, but challenge you TODAY, to take 10 minutes out of your busy life, and create a list of all the great things you have to thankful for. Leave nothing out, if you have a bed to sleep in, be thankful, if you have food to eat, be thankful, if you have someone that loves you, be thankful, etc……

It is human nature to get caught up in and focus on the negative in life, for just this one day, I challenge you to focus on all the positive things that are happening in your life. You never know, you might just realize that life is not all that bad!

Getting Organized....

2008-09-22T07:45:00.000-07:00

As my business grows and my personal assets develop, I find less and less time to stay organized, yet once I begin to re-organize all my “stuff” I am reminded of how important organization is. My life is made up of a lot of moving parts, and organization, though a hard thing to do is one of the most important things I need to accomplish.

Some of the benefits to staying organized include, easy to find the important things you need, also you can keep a handle on things, making sure nothing falls “through” the cracks.

Do you know where important documents are? Are you staying on top of everything you need to make sure you are covered in case something happens? What should you organize? Things including (but not limited too) all insurance (property, car, medical, dental, life, disability), all your investments, all legal documents, your will, all your banking information, information about your significant other and children (if applicable). These are just a few things to get your “list” started.

With all my moving parts, it has taken me one full week, others it might take one hour. However long it will take you, I suggest getting it done NOW! You won’t regret taking the time, and you will have peace of mind knowing that all your important documents are on hand if and when you need them.

Are You Prepared Financially?

2008-09-15T06:12:00.000-07:00

You wake up this morning, and there is a huge mess on Wall Street. You might be asking, "What is going to happen with my portfolio (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, your 401K, etc....)?"Well if you have followed the guidelines in my book, "Winning The Money Game", this morning might be a little easier on you. In my book we discuss very simple financial fundamentals that if you follow you will set yourself to win the money game we all play. Such as:

Making, saving, and investing money
Ongoing savings
Needs vs wants
Essential money skills
Your money choices and their consequences

Grow your money
Assets vs liabilities
Monitor your progress
Evaluate yourself

Is it too late financially for you? I don't think so. I believe it is never too late to begin doing the right things to get on track. Please don't mistake the "simplicity" of these concepts! These concepts work period, and will help you win the money game over the long-term. You can buy the book at www.chadcarden.com. There are many different financial concepts out there, but some have proven to be tried and true. Don't be fooled by others who put "sexy" titles and concepts in their book. Follow the fundamentals above and you WILL WIN!

Finishing Strong

2008-09-08T16:58:00.000-07:00

I was watching a football game the other day and it amazes me how intense it gets if the game is close at the 2 minute warning. It seems as if the offense, which couldn’t move the ball all game, suddenly has a new game plan is moving the ball at will against a defense that has stopped them up until this point. However, if the game isn’t that close, the intensity tends to go down and players begin to “give up” and get ready for next week’s game.

I think sometimes that how we are as human beings. If we have had a great year, and things are continuing to progress in a positive way, then our intensity goes up at the end of the year. If our year has just been the same year over and over, then we are saying, “I can’t wait until next year, things are going to be different, I am going to start over……”
Get my drift?

I am going to challenge each of you reading this to FINISH STRONG, no matter what type of year you have had. Don’t “write off” this year and wait until 2009 to make changes, do it now. Make forward progress now and think about how much further you will be when 2009 hits! You’ll never know what progress you can make unless you take action. Here is one of my favorite quotes: “Actions may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action” Benjamin Disraeli (Former British Prime Minister)

I don’t care if things have gone great, or if you would rather forget 2008 up to this point. Do something positive before 2009!!

I would love to hear how you are going to make in impact on your life in the last months of 2008.
Please contact me and keep me updated on how things are going! Best of luck!

If you would like to read about a specific topic in one of my upcoming blogs let me know!

A New Blogger

2008-09-04T13:59:00.000-07:00

For someone who cares about helping people set themselves up for success by helping people change the way they look at life, I am been fighting a battle for the past 12 years. I have had the privilege to work with over 100,000 people all across the globe, and work with them to get on the right path to success (however they define the word "success"). Through self-help, motivation, financial planning, career planning, business planning, leadership and sales development, and building self-confidence I have seen a lot of people who are truly searching for answers about themselves and their very own lives. I have decided to jump into this "blogging" world with knowing little about it, to help as many people as possible with the power of the Internet. Each week I will post a blog that can and will help people improve their lives if they actually take action with my suggestions. Improving one's life is a two-way street. First, one must know what do to and how to do it, and second they must take ACTION! I have run across a lot of people who HEAR but don't LISTEN, others who LISTEN but don't UNDERSTAND, others who UNDERSTAND but don't AGREE, others who AGREE but don't think they HAVE THE ABILITY TO ACCOMPLISH, and finally those who HAVE THE ABILITY TO ACCOMPLISH but don't EXECUTE (no action). It is my goal to get people to EXECUTE and improve their lives and reach success (however they define "success"). I am anxious to see how people are improving, and also ready to be challenged. I invite all of you to get on this bus of improvement!

Be on the lookout as I post, and please let me know how you are using what I post to improve your life. Also if you don't agree I welcome any debate on anything that I post!

Thanks in advance for going along with me on this journey!